Hotel Description
BlueSky Guest House – A deluxe guesthouse in the quaint, tranquil village of Arniston only 450 m from the beach and historical fishing harbour. Arniston is a national monument and the only remaining historic fishing village in South Africa.
Arniston is a tranquil fishing village approx 210 km’s from Cape Town, on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa. The village of Kassiesbaai boasts iconic white washed, thatched roof fishermans’ cottages. The Arniston sank here in 1815, only 6 of the 378 passengers survived the disaster.
There are pristine white sandy beaches, dotted with rock pools to explore. Prehistoric fish traps made by the Khoisan strandlopers (beach walkers) still remain along the coastline. These stone built enclosures trap fish at high tide.
Your Hosts – Ade and Jill Penny look forward to welcoming you to our home.
Blue Sky has en-suite bedrooms with:
- Extra length Queen beds
Custom made furniture
Nespresso coffee machines
Kettles & Mini bar fridge
International multi plugs with usb
AC
Wi-fi
One honeymoon suite with private garden
One wheelchair friendly room
Full restaurant
Lounge with satellite TV
Pool
Room prices include breakfast.
Meals and a little about our chef, A la carte and or table d’hote for lunch and dinner.
Andrew Read trained as a chef in Durban, South Africa. He traveled and worked in the United Kingdom, Ireland and British Colombia, working in pubs, hotels, hotel barge-boats, restaurants and even a tree-planting camp. A large portion of his career has been at game lodges, where he enjoyed regular interaction with the guests.
What to do & Explore:
Arniston/Waenhuiskrans – is a coastal village on the Indian Ocean in the Western Cape , South Africa . It is named after a cave like a wagon house about 2 km south of here. The town is a popular fishing resort . It is also known as Arniston following the Arniston, which stranded on May 30, 1815 . Only six of 378 people survived.
At the Arniston Beach you can relax and enjoy the soft white sandy beaches.
Whales come to the Arniston coastline each year from April to January, with peak viewing times being in September and October, to calve and mate.
Waenhuiskrans (wagon house cliff) is the highlight of a visit to Waenhuiskrans, you will need to navigate the small opening beneath a rocky overhang that takes you into the cave proper.
Kassiesbaai Fishing Village – Home to the characteristic lime-washed, thatched cottages, no visit to Arniston/Waenhuiskrans is complete without a visit to Kassiesbaai. Hidden behind the sand dunes lies one of South Africa’s most picturesque Heritage Sites. The descendants of the founding families have managed to beautifully preserve the essence of this 200-year-old village, and it is only right to show our appreciation by visiting it. The cluster of rustic cottages seems frozen in time, waiting to be captured on film and canvas
Bredasdorp –( approx 22 km’s from Arniston) – lies at the foot of the Heuningberg Mountain
Shipwreck Museum – (approx 22km’s from Arniston) The Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum opened in the 1960’s and was proclaimed a museum in 1975. It is the only Shipwreck Museum in South Africa and pays tribute to the 150 ships that were met by an untimely end along the Cape’s tumultuous coast made of jutting rocks and unpredictable seas.
Kapula Candles – (approx 22km’s from Arniston) Nestled in the heart of South Africa’s Overberg region, Kapula is a Fair Trade organisation specialising in handmade candles and ceramics. Handmade ceramics, hand-painted candles and plain frosted figurines, soy or premium fragranced candles.
Heuningberg Nature Reserve –(approx 22km’s from Arniston)There is always an abundance of beautiful flowers to delight the visitor. This Reserve is home to more than 260 species of plants, 34 of which are endemic and a number of these, e.g. the Bredasdorp Lily (Cyrtanthus guthriea), are found only on the Heuningberg Mountain. The hiking trails were the brainchild of Eps Joubert, then a teacher at the Bredasdorp High School.
De Mond Nature Reserve – (approx 22km’s from Arniston) Pristine coastal wilderness in the south-western Cape It is a beautiful coastal nature reserve at the mouth of the Heuningnes River. It lies about 26km south-east of Bredasdorp on the south-western Cape coast, between Arniston and Struisbaai and is a World Heritage Site. Visitors can enjoy a peaceful picnic under shady trees along the banks of the river, or explore the reserve on one of the beautiful hiking trails. The 7km Sterna Trail, for example, winds through riverine vegetation, dune forest and stabilised dunes before following the coast to the river mouth and saltmarshes. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy De Mond’s prime freshwater and marine angling spots.
De Hoop Nature Reserve – (approx 70km’s from Arniston) probably most known for its enormous Southern Right whale migratory calving population. It boasts sea, sand dunes, the vlei, a floral sensation of rare fynbos plants, diverse antelope and the Potberg Mountains. Birders observe wading birds on the shores of the vlei while the Potberg Mountains are home to a colony of endangered Cape vultures.
Hikers and cyclists have close-up encounters with bontebok, Cape mountain zebra, eland, baboons and ostrich. Activities are diverse and guests choose between various day walks through the rich fynbos plains or along the deserted coastline, or mountain biking along the many gravel roads or scenic game drives. Lazing on the beach and snorkelling in the many turquoise rock pools is simply another way to pass a rewarding day.
Black Oyster Catcher – (approx 48km’s from Arniston) Here the boutique Black Oystercatcher Wines are made from the intensely fruity grapes, formed in Cape Agulhas’ extreme growing conditions. Top quality cool climate wines with penetrating, fruit flavours and a distinctive minerality.
Elim Wine Route – The Black Oyster Catcher, The Berrio, Zoetendal, Ghost Corner, Lands End, Lomond, Strandveld, Trizanne.
EIim – (approx 57km’s from Arniston)The charming little village known as Elim, dominated by white-washed fishermen’s cottages and fig trees, is one of the few surviving South African mission stations, founded in 1824 as the third Moravian mission station in the Cape,
L’Agulhas – (approx 42km’s from Arniston) The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse has stood for over 150 years as a maritime chaperone over the notorious ‘Cape of Storms’, at the most southern tip of Africa. Here two mighty oceans meet with the gentlest of touches. Rasperpunt hike begins just west of the famous Agulhas lighthouse. Spookdraai hiking trail – there have been so many shipwrecks along this coastline that even if you do not believe in ghosts (spook)
Struisbaai – (approx 37 km’s from Arniston) It is an unbelievably picturesque coastal village located in the Overberg region. Visitors can watch traditional fishermen bring in their daily catches and where fresh fish can be purchased. Struisbaai is home to a famous resident in the form of Parrie the Stingray – he even has his own Facebook page! Parrie is undoubtedly the world’s most famous giant stingray and can be found in the shallow waters of the harbour.
BlueSky Guest House Offers 20% Off Best Available Rates for Crewconnected Members
Make your booking request here – blueskyarniston@gmail.com Quote “CREWCONNECTED” to ensure Crewconnected Interline Rates
Tel: +27 (0) 28 4459010 / +27 (0) 71 4186209
