De Hoop is one of the components of the "Cape Floral Region Protected Areas" World Heritage Site.

The De Hoop Marine Protected Area extends three nautical miles out to sea from the coastline of the nature reserve.

In the mid 1970s, the area became dedicated to the conservation of the Cape Floral ecosystem, and became the southernmost nature reserve in Africa.

[4] De Hoop Nature Reserve's climate is Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters.

These include the rare bontebok and Cape mountain zebra, eland, grey rhebok, chacma baboon, yellow mongoose and caracal.

[3] The waters within the De Hoop Reserve support good populations of marine mammals such as dolphins and seals.