Have you ever visited the Cederberg Wilderness Area in the Western Cape, South Africa? These mountains are packed full of different activities that you should totally check out. The Cederberg is a vast area of rugged and undulating mountains that occupies a large part of the Western Cape. You can access the mountains from a number of different towns but it takes more or less 2h30min from Cape Town. Knowing what to do or which are the activities that are a must see in the Cederberg area is hard to discover, that’s why I came up with this list of things to do in the Cederberg, in the Clanwilliam area.
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6 Things to do in the Cederberg
1. Algeria waterfall
Only about an hour long hike will take you to this beautiful waterfall. The path is bendy and you do require a beginner to medium fitness level for it. Not only is the actual Algeria waterfall very nice and tranquil but the valley views you can see from the top are breath-taking. I sat on the edge and enjoyed the views for a very long time
Interested in the full hiking guide to Algeria Waterfall? You can read all about it here.
2. Stadstaal cave & Rock Art
The drive from Algeria Campsite reception to Stadstaal cave & Rock Art will take you up the mountains for views like these.
Then the road will start going down into the valley and will showcase these amazing and colourful fields. Some big rocks have rolled off the mountain seem to be placed in their location on purpose. Perhaps this was a playground for giants?
For any Game of Thrones fan, I thought it looked quite similar the Great Grass Sea of the Dothraki! Further on your drive you will go past Driehoek and many different smaller farms. The scenery is very pretty. The price to get in to Stadstaal is R30 per adult. The place looks like a futuristic movie has to be filmed there: the rock formations have strange shapes and even caves!
Connect with silence at Gecko Creek
3. Craft beer and cheese platter stop at Nieuw Brew
On your way back to Algeria you will drive past a sign you might have ignored on your way to the caves but you shouldn’t: Kromrivier. This short detour from the main road will take you to Krom rivier. It is not the typical thing to do in the Cederberg. You will see the green valley as you descend from the mountain on a windy road. It has a campsite, restaurant and craft beer. It was the first brewery in the Cederberg. The oondkoek (type of bread) recently baked with the cold beer make for the best stop.
4. Enjoy the dramatic views of Pakhuispas
If you drive on the R364 from Clanwilliam to Calvinia you will find a lookout space for the cars to park next to the road. When you get out of the car you feel like you stepped a foot in the lookout of a sacred land. The little valley views are spectacular, filled with different shapes and rocks.
5. Discover quality Bushman paintings at Seville rock art trail
Driving on the R364 you will find a sign on your right called Travellers Rest where the trail starts. The Seville trail has 9 different sites with bushman paintings who lived there for thousands of years. At arrival you must pay the permit R40 and then you are given a leaflet with information on each side. The trail is 5 km long and you can walk it yourself unguided just by following the footprints painted on the rocks for walkers.
What I loved most about the trail were clearly the paintings. I am generally sceptic about finding rock art as most times people speculate on possible meanings and I don’t like that. Instead, in the Seville rock art trail you are given information on what the painting is, and not what it means or is supposed to have meant.
The nine sites are truly incredible and the walk is relatively flat. I would totally recommend the Seville rock art trail as a thing not to miss in the Cederberg area.
6. Ride a horse
Dreamt of walking along private citrus fields on top of a horse? At Citrus Creek ‘Appel’ will let you enjoy the scenery while walking on top of the majestic horses. Get in the water with your horse (no swimming needed – you can stay atop) and enjoy a beautiful morning.
The Cederberg mountains are so pretty that any activity you can do will make them show off. Don’t hesitate and book a weekend away already!
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