Welcome to our Biosphere Reserve!
What is the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve?
The Cape West Coast Biosphere forms part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. Established in 1971, the programme promotes practical solutions that balance biodiversity conservation with the sustainable use of natural resources, recognising that people are an integral part of healthy ecosystems. Its purpose is to promote ecologically sustainable development while conserving the region’s exceptional biodiversity, natural resources and unique cultural heritage.
The Cape West Coast Biosphere brings together conservation areas, working landscapes, towns and communities to demonstrate that people and nature can thrive together through responsible environmental stewardship and sustainable development practices.
Why the CWCB was Established
More than two decades ago, civil society on the West Coast recognised that urgent action was needed to protect the region’s botanical diversity and unique cultures from increasing pressure associated with urban expansion, industrial development, mining and unsustainable land-use practices.
With the support of all three spheres of government, an application was submitted to UNESCO for recognition under the Man and the Biosphere Programme. The Cape West Coast Biosphere was formally designated in November 2000, with the designation subsequently ratified by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
The CWCB Landscape
The Cape West Coast Biosphere extends from the Diep River in Cape Town northwards to the Berg River, covering approximately 378,000 hectares of exceptional natural and cultural landscapes. Unlike a traditional protected area, a Biosphere has no fences. Instead, it brings together a mosaic of landscapes where conservation, sustainable development and human activity coexist.
Within the CWCB is a national park, marine protected areas, state- and privately-owned nature reserves, conservancies, climate change adaptation corridors, two Ramsar-listed wetlands, agricultural land, rural towns and communities, and parts of a metropolitan area. It also includes significant economic infrastructure, such as a nuclear power station, phosphate mines, an industrial harbour, and portions of the City of Cape Town, Bergrivier Municipality, and the entire Swartland and Saldanha Bay municipal areas.
Together, these diverse landscapes demonstrate how biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and economic development can be integrated to create a resilient and thriving region.
CWCB Trials
Eve’s Trail
The Darling Stagger
The Five Bay Trail
The Wheels of Time
Book one of our breath-taking trials
