Noetzie Conservancy

About Noetzie Conservancy

Noetzie Conservancy is all the surrounding vegetation and beautiful Noetzie Beach, roughly fifteen minutes outside of Knysna. It is the major reason why Noetzie Beach remains one of few beaches in the country free of development.

Did you know? Noetzie beach and its surrounds became a conservancy when residents applied to authorities to have it declared as such in 1999.

The only run-in with development has been a rather empassioned response by locals, and a subsequent court case, when the Pezula (one of the famous castle's on the beach) developer closed access to the beach via the public steps.

The beach, including its idiosyncratic castles, is a beautiful space of amber rock faces, milkwood forest, a lagoon and a beach. It is a difficult beach to reach and relatively unknown - another reason it has managed to remain largely untouched.

Yet despite this, there is evidence that Noetzie was inhabited by some of the southern Cape's earliest inhabitants. Later it was used as a remote and practically secret place for local fishermen and very determined campers and holiday makers.

Noetzie beach and its surrounds only became a conservancy when residents applied to authorities to have it declared as such in 1999. As a result there are certain rules in place should you want to visit the beach, or get married there (you cannot reserve the beach space to marry as it's a public space, but you can use it, as long as these same rules apply):

No alcohol on the beach, no amplified music, no cars on the sand or beach, no erection of any structures, all litter, including any flowers you may scatter in the process of marrying, need to be removed, no digging or disturbing any of the sand, rocks, fauna or flora.

Good to know that the conservancy preserves this incredible enclave.