Blending Wine and Eco Adventures in a Pontoon Boat Cruise at Benguela Cove

Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Conservation Champion and South African ecotourism wine destination, is pairing award-winning wines with a new Eco Boat Cruise on the Lady Bonnie pontoon boat.

Johann Fourie is the winemaker at the Hermanus wine farm in the Walker Bay wine region, in the Western Cape Winelands of South Africa. He says:

“For the Eco-Cruise at Benguela Cove, we have paired the Benguela Cove Vinography Sauvignon Blanc 2020. The Sauvignon Blanc has a refreshing profile that is ideal for a cruise along the lagoon and estuary. Tropical fruit aromas complement the natural surroundings and wildlife you’ll see on the cruise. This wine also pairs perfectly with oysters, which you can enjoy at the estate’s oyster bar after the cruise.”

The Lady Bonnie pontoon cruise offers visitors an educational experience as they explore the Bot-Kleinmond Estuarine System, ranked 8th most important estuary in South Africa due to its habitat importance, zonal type rarity, and biodiversity. The boat tour is designed to prioritise fun, with low environmental impact.

The pontoon is equipped with two 40hp 4-stroke Honda outboards, minimising sound and pollution, and features a detachable fuel tank to prevent impacts on water quality. The vessel is certified for 12 passengers and two crew members, and the tours last no longer than 60 minutes.

Set within a protected nature reserve and UNESCO designated Kogelberg Biosphere, the wine farm is committed to environmentally responsible farming practices and the conservation of threatened habitats in South Africa’s Succulent Karoo and the Cape Floral Kingdom. 

Cruise Experience

The boat tour is led by a qualified skipper and knowledgeable staff, ensuring a safe and informative experience for all. The Lady Bonnie is also wheelchair accessible, child friendly, and dog friendly, making it a perfect family experience.

The Eco Boat Cruise enables visitors to appreciate the natural landscape and wildlife of the Bot River Estuary while promoting the conservation of these natural resources for future generations, says the estate owner, Penny Streeter OBE.

The Bot-Kleinmond Estuarine is a haven for diverse bird and fish species, as well as the small buck, mountain leopards and wild horses that also make appearances on the estate. Among the 86 bird species recorded in the estuary, some are globally threatened, such as the Bank Cormorant.

Visitors might see any number of species which include: the Cape Shoveler, Yellow-billed Duck, Blue Crane, Chestnut-banded Plover, Black Harrier, African Marsh Harrier, Red-knobbed Coot, African Oystercatcher, Caspian Tern, Kelp Gull, Great White Pelican, Cape Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Bank Cormorant, Greater Flamingo, Spur-winged Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Great Crested Tern and Sandwich Tern.

The estuary is home to over forty fish species, including the endangered Bot River Klipfish listed on the IUCN Red List. Other species present in the estuary include Cape Silverside, Barehead Goby, Cape Halfbeak, Leerfish, White Steenbras, and Stumpnose. 

Hermanus Wine Farms

Benguela Cove is one of the award-winning Hermanus wine farms in the Walker Bay wine region, in the Western Cape Winelands of South Africa, producing some of the best South African wines. In addition to the Eco Boat Cruise, Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate offers luxurious accommodation and an extensive range of activities for visitors to enjoy.

Each architect-designed villa features en-suite bedrooms, Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, indoor fireplaces, and an outdoor braai. Guests can also enjoy wine tasting on the estate, cellar tours, wine and chocolate pairing and dining at the Moody Lagoon Restaurant and the oyster bar.

There are vineyard safaris, art gallery visits and wine blending - as well as adventure golf and the Benguela Splash water park, which features Blackbeard’s Diner for children.

The Eco Boat Cruise is complimentary for two people when they buy any case of wine - six bottles or more at Benguela Cove. Pontoon cruises are available Wednesday to Sunday - weather permitting at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. Booking is required online or 087 357 0637, info@benguelacove.co.za 

For more information on the estate and its offerings, please visit their website at https://www.benguelacove.co.za/ 

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Editors notes

Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, Hermanus, is a vineyard and wine tourism destination located in the Walker Bay region of South Africa. The Benguela Collection wine and hospitality group is owned by the Streeter family. The Benguela Collection includes Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens and Mannings Golf & Wine Estate in the UK.

It was founded by Penny Streeter OBE in 2013 when she acquired and developed the 543-acre Hermanus wine farm and residential estate at Benguela Cove, located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at the start of the Hermanus Wine Route.

The cellar-door wine hospitality experience includes luxury oceanside villa accommodation with every modern facility, including en suite bedrooms and a private swimming pool. There is also the ‘Moody Lagoon’ Hermanus restaurant, a seafood and oyster bar and a popular wine-tasting pontoon tour with beautiful views across the tranquil lagoon, protected by a sandbar from the Atlantic Ocean.

Guests can book cheese and chocolate pairings, winemaking experiences, and enjoy a programme of major art exhibitions, music and other year-round events, as well as children’s entertainment.

Cultivars are Sauvignon Blanc 45%, Shiraz 25% and others, to create some of the best South African wines.

Vineyard - Acquired in 2013; 170 acres; First vines planted in 2004; 350,000 bottles produced per year.