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The Cederberg, Cape Town

About

Scorched a reddish colour, the jagged Cederberg Mountains are just three hours’ drive north of Cape Town, yet seem whole worlds away.  Together with the overall Cederberg Wilderness Area, they score highly for hiking and mountaineering, as well as offering ancient San and Khoi cave paintings and memorable rock shapes, carved out by the wind over centuries.  But many come simply for the sense of escapism, for the ethereal feel, and for luxury refuges like Bushman’s Kloof.

Highlights

Sneeuberg, the Snow Mountain, is especially popular for hiking, but there are trails everywhere – including multi-day routes to famous sandstone formations like the Wolfberg Arch and Maltese Cross.  Climbers gravitate towards the Rocklands area, while the three-mile Sevilla Trail links together ten rock-art locations.  Hotels like Bushman’s Kloof also organise guided trips to see those, plus nature drives on which you might encounter porcupines, honey badgers, Cape clawless otters, baboons or the elusive leopard.

Fynbos cover much of Cederberg’s wilderness, resulting in wondrous wildflower carpets of red disa, rooibos (as in the tea) or rare snow protea.  Clanwilliam cedars, after which the area’s named, still dot the higher mountain cliffs, with wild olive and almond trees also on show.  In between, the activity options also span fly-fishing, canoeing, swimming in rock pools or tastings at South Africa’s highest wine estate.  Or you could just slumber in a spa and relish the precious tranquility.

Getting there

Take the N7 highway north from Cape Town.  Turn off for Cederberg/Algeria after Citrusdal to access the reserve’s centre, or continue to Clanwilliam and take R364 east for Bushman’s Kloof.  Driving’s the easiest way to get around, although roads are limited: hiking, biking or joining a 4x4 tour are your main off-road options.

Best time to visit

The area is charming year-round, although the higher ground can be chilly during winter (June-September).  Wildflowers typically bloom from September onwards, so spring visits are particularly photogenic.