Cape Wilderness

Not far beyond the world-famous attractions of Cape Town, lies a beautiful and as yet un-heralded region waiting to be explored - the Cape wilderness.

A mere half an hour drive from the centre of Cape Town, you are met with the most incredible scenery as rolling fields give way to the West Coast National Park, with seemingly endless hectares of indigenous fynbos. To your left, the scenery falls away into the biting grip of the Atlantic Ocean as the searing Elandskloof Mountains rise in far distance, and to your right lies the vast expanse of the Swartland and the distant mountains of the Cederberg and Citrusdal area.

The Cape Wilderness is ideal for the second time visitor to South Africa as well as the visitor looking to get off the so-called “beaten track”. This region links perfectly to any stay in Cape Town, the Winelands and beyond.

Comprising of very different areas – unspoilt beaches with relaxed restaurants serving seafood platters (the best in South Africa) and delicious crayfish, inland carpets of colourful wildflowers, and mountain ranges complete with ancient bushman paintings and river valleys you can be assured of a varied holiday experience when visiting this region.

Not far beyond the world-famous attractions of Cape Town, lies a beautiful and as yet un-heralded region waiting to be explored - the Cape wilderness.

A mere half an hour drive from the centre of Cape Town, you are met with the most incredible scenery as rolling fields give way to the West Coast National Park, with seemingly endless hectares of indigenous fynbos. To your left, the scenery falls away into the biting grip of the Atlantic Ocean as the searing Elandskloof Mountains rise in far distance, and to your right lies the vast expanse of the Swartland and the distant mountains of the Cederberg and Citrusdal area.

The Cape Wilderness is ideal for the second time visitor to South Africa as well as the visitor looking to get off the so-called “beaten track”. This region links perfectly to any stay in Cape Town, the Winelands and beyond.

Comprising of very different areas – unspoilt beaches with relaxed restaurants serving seafood platters (the best in South Africa) and delicious crayfish, inland carpets of colourful wildflowers, and mountain ranges complete with ancient bushman paintings and river valleys you can be assured of a varied holiday experience when visiting this region.

The West Coast beaches stretch for over 400km along the icy Atlantic Ocean coastline, along which there are numerous small fishing villages like Paternoster. Idyllic days can be spent walking down the beach in near perfect solitude, before returning to you guesthouse to enjoy a sunset bottle of wine.  The Langebaan Lagoon has an extensive wetland area and is included in the West Coast National Park which is highly recognized as a bird watching destination.

To the north the area of Namaqualand is famed for the never-ending fields of wild flowers that bloom in the spring turning the otherwise barren landscape into a brightly coloured natural artwork.

Further inland the grain and wine farms of the Swartland and Sandveld; the citrus, Rooibos and wines of the Olifantsrivier Valley and the spectacular magnificence of the scenic Cederberg and Groot Winterhoek Mountains provide for a completely different experience. The Cederberg Wilderness area is diverse in form and structure, so valuable for its plants and animals and so unique in its landscape, that any nature lover, hiker or mountaineer will find its opportunities and challenges difficult to exhaust. Incredible rock formations that defy gravity rise from the cliffs and plateaus in the area, and bushman paintings can be found in hidden caves and protected under rocky overhangs.

The Cape Wilderness is a huge, diverse area and local knowledge plays a key role in ensuring you find the hidden gems it contains. Contact one of our Travel Experts to find out about the accommodation on offer in the area, and about any tour or safari combinations. We are based in Cape Town and have grown up traversing this area so can offer you some excellent advice on how best to go about planning your trip.