Atlantis Dunes / Witsands Aquifer Nature Reserve

For an out of this world experience, you only need to drive 45km out of Cape Town to make your way to the Witsands Aquifer Nature Reserve which is home to the beautiful Atlantis Dunes. Fine white sand dunes cover 500 hectares of the reserve and host an abundance of wild life, including: steenbok, Cape grysbok, small grey mongoose, Cape dune mole rat and caracal.

While you can choose to do various exciting activities in the Dunes, you are also able to just visit them as a walk-in guest. You can feel the sand between your toes, climb up the Dunes and admire the spectacular views of Table Mountain and the space-like surroundings.

For the more adventurous souls, Quad Biking, Sandboarding and Extreme 4×4 Drives are on offer! Please note that you will have to pay a separate Reserve Entrance fee depending on the activity of your choice. Sometimes those fees are already included in the overall price of the activity and in some cases they have to be paid on top – depending on the service provider. Walk-ins to the Nature Reserve are always FREE.

Quadbike Tour

Experience the power and fun of a quadbike during your 1 hour guided quadbike tour through the Dunes. This activity is not really weather dependant and can be done 7 days a week. Make lasting memories with family and friends while riding through the dunes and enjoying the spectacular surroundings.

It’s best to wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes. You should also bring along a hat, sunscreen and some refreshments in case you get thirsty.

The minimum age for this experience is 6 years and the juniors will be allowed to ride with one of the guides. Children over the age of 13 may ride on their own. Children under the age of 6 are strictly NOT allowed to join the fun.

Please note that there is also a maximum weight allowance of 110kg.

Sandboarding Experience

If you are a fan of snowboarding but are missing the essential part (the snow) in Cape Town, you can try this fun alternative and slide down the dunes with your sandboard. You can choose from a 4×4 sandboarding experience where you will be taken up the dunes by 4×4 vehicles or you can simply walk back up yourself.

The duration of this activity is approximately 2 hours and it starts outside the Permit office in the parking lot of the Witsands Aquifer Nature Reserve. The staff will assist you in training and perfectly wax your sandboard before you get to do it all by yourself.

Sandboarding is a weather dependant activity and it does not take place in wet conditions or very high winds. For the perfect experience, you should bring along some sunscreen, a hat or cap, sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and sand as well as an additional pair of socks.

The minimum age for sandboarding is 4 years.

Extreme 4×4 Drive

Get your adrenaline levels up by bashing, thrashing and drifting through the dunes with a custom built 4×4 vehicle that is navigated by an experienced driver. This 1 hour ride will be gravity defying and is surely not suitable for the faint hearted amongst you.

For the best experience, this is an adventure you do on your own as the vehicle needs to be light weighted in order to perform all the stunts. However, you can bring along up to 4 people to share costs and experience it together. Little hint: 16:00 is the best time to drive in the dunes.

The minimum age requirement for the Extreme 4×4 Drive is 4 years. You need to be at least 90cm in height and shouldn’t be taller than 1.90m. The weight restriction is 130kg.

Nature Reserve Entrance Fees (in 2024)

Activity	Age	Price
Sandboarding	Adult Child/Pensioner/Student	R68 R42
4×4 / Off-road	Per vehicle (4 adults) Extra adult Extra child	R205 R50 R32
Quadbike/motorcycle	Per Vehicle	R118
Walk-In	Adult/Child/Pensioner	FREE

Our Experience

We have visited Atlantis Dunes twice already as our children are absolutely fascinated by the dunes and enjoy it so much to run around, roll down the dunes and play with the amazingly white sand. We join in on the fun and love the spectacular views of Table Mountain in the backdrop. It’s a very different landscape and you will be able to take spectacular photos. We have never done the quadbiking or sandboarding experience as our children are still quite young. But this is definitely on our to-do list for when they get older.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️