WINE, WHALES & MUSIC 2026
19-21 June 2026
Join us for the highlight of the De Hoop Calendar
Wine, Whales and Music is an annual winter celebration held at De Hoop Collection to welcome the start of whale season – when sightings of majestic Southern Right whales can be expected to begin in the marine protected bay hugging the De Hoop coastline.
Guests to De Hoop can look forward to a curated weekend blending regional wines, live music, and the natural abundance of De Hoop Nature Reserve.
In addition to the ‘Whale Time Serenade’ for strings and flute with dinner featuring Irina Tsoniff, Ivo Ivanov on violin and Kate White on Viola, Peta Ann Holdcroft on cello and Malané Hofmeyr-Burger on Flute, this year also welcomes ‘Diamonds & Divas’ to the lineup for Friday Evening. The live music show stars Johan Liebenberg and Lucy Tops and celebrates legendary voices and timeless hits from some of the world’s greatest artists. Audiences are treated to unforgettable songs made famous by Michael Bubble, Neil Diamond, Shirley Bassey, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Adele, Pink, and Bruce Springsteen, among many more.
This year’s special invited speaker is Jenny Cullinan (founder and the executive director of Ujubee NPC) who will present “The Wonderful World of Wild Living Bees.” The talk will focus on the broader world of wild bees and their ecological importance. The presentation explores wild bee diversity, their role within ecosystems, and the importance of understanding conservation from an ecological and ethical perspective. Of course, the wine and cheese tasting portion of the programme is a not-to-be-missed experience, and the weekend rounds off with a Sunday visit to Koppie Alleen with the De Hoop Guides to see if we can welcome any whales for season.
We look forward to having you join us for this special weekend in nature. Accommodation can be booked on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast basis and includes both live music performances, the special guest talk, as well as the wine and cheese tasting afternoon.
Email us on res@dehoopcollection.co.za or click on the button below:
MERRELL WHALE OF TRAIL
14-16 August Raceweekend for 53km Trail Ultra
and 35km Trail Run
Whale Journey:
– Journey 1 – 13 – 15 August 2026 – SOLD OUT (email entries@mountainrunner.co.za if you would like to be on waitlist)
– Journey 2 – 15 – 17 August 2026 (Ideal for group of 8-12 runners)
About 35km Trail Run:
The 35km Trail Run route starts and ends at the same magnificent places as the 53km.
It begins with 15km of glorious mountain singletrack, merges onto a 7km jeeptrack to get to the 15km section of beach and coastal paths with ridiculously jaw dropping all round vistas and of course plenty of time with the whales.
(Yes, that’s closer to 37km than 35km!)
But it’s not just running. You’re treated to weekend dinners, free massage and freshly prepared lunch when you finish, wine tasting, complimentary G&T, quality goody bag, quality good people and all round ethical goodness at this big hearted race.
About 53km Ultra:
Embrace all 53km and 1900m vert of South Africa’s iconic – and aptly named – five-day Whale Trail hiking route in one tremendous effort.
Fast flowing footpaths through spectacular mountain fynbos give way to technical rocky coastline ridges, calf killing sandy beaches and onto undulating coastal paths. The entire route is in the De Hoop Reserve, so you come for the whales, but expect to also see eland, bontebok, zebra, vultures, dolphins and signs of otter, leopard, caracal and turtles. It’s magic.
Finishing Whale is not easy but so worth the effort. Find your tribe of genuine, wild loving trail runners here.
Whale Journey:
Sometimes an ultra-distance run is better undertaken as a luxurious two-day affair, punctuated with a swim and a nap and fireside fun camaraderie. Sometimes a route offers so many diversions that racing through it leads to intense FOMO. Sometimes you do just have to stop and smell the fynbos. And watch the whales. And explore the rockpools. And take the photos.
Consider the exclusive Whale Journey 2026.
Fully catered from the moment you arrive at the haven of De Hoop Collection with every detail carefully considered. Nothing more to do but indulge in the magnificence of the reserve.
As a member of the small group you are invited to run at your own pace, either fast or meandering.
There are two Journey events on offer, each to just 12 trail runners who appreciate the finer side of life. Both give the unique opportunity to run the 53km route as a two day adventure, with three nights fully catered.