If you’re looking for a change of scene from Cape Town or want to experience something unique during your trip to South Africa, head over to Cederberg. Just 3 hours drive from Cape Town, and you’re in an entirely different world. While fynbos is lovely and all, nothing beats some really nice rocky landscapes. The Cederberg is full of fascinating natural rock formations, San rock art, and hidden pools perfect for a dip after a long hot day hiking and bouldering.
Itinerary
You can easily spend a weekend in Cederberg relaxing and doing nothing except enjoying being there. Or you can pack it full of hikes. If you want a bit of both, try out the suggested itinerary below.
Where to Stay
Camping makes the Cederberg the unforgettable experience it is. You can get deep into the mountains and get the best views of the stars at night far from any populated towns.
Just 30 km north of Citrusdal, a dirt road juts off to the right from the N7. You’ll find some of the best camping in the area here at Algeria and Sanddrif.
Algeria lies just before the mountain pass, down by a creek. It offers 48 campsites with power points and braai facilities and 13 basic cottages. Campsites range from 190 ZAR to 450 ZAR, for up to 2 people a night. Up to 4 additional people can join at a site for R60 per person. Though the sites don’t have a lot of grass, they do sit in the shade of some very nice massive bluegum trees. What’s great about this site is that in addition to a natural swimming pool in the campsite, you’ve got access to many different hike options at your doorstep.
Compared to Algeria, Sanddrif is perhaps the more popular of the two campsites for families with small children. Like Algeria, Sanddrif is at the foot of some of the most memorable hikes in the region. This privately owned campsite is deeper in the Cederberg and will require a bit more dirt road driving to access. But once you get there, it’s totally worth it. The campsites are larger than those at Algeria, full of grass and shaded with massive trees. The site lies along a constantly full stream that leads you down towards Maalgat – one of the best rock pools for swimming in the area. The best campsites are 28 and 27 because they are right near the river and a bit quieter away from the other sites. Sites are 380 ZAR for 4 people, with 95 ZAR per extra person (up to 8 max per site).
Alternatively you might choose to camp at Kliphuis by Pakhuis Pass. Enjo Nature Farm in the Bieduow Valley has several campsites and a few cottages, but is quite far from accessing some of the highlights in the area. Kromrivier Cederberg Park has campsites each with its own abolution block, but it is quite a way down the dirt road. The bonus is from here you can hike to Disa pool.
What to Do
Hike up to Wolfberg Arch via the Narrow Crack. Wolfberg Arch is as you can imagine – a stone arch. With prior permission, you can spend the night here and get some very epic views of the stars. As for the cracks – these are the most fun you will ever have on a mountain.
Essentially Narrow Crack is a narrow gorge that you walk, climb and tunnel through. (Please don’t attempt it if you are afraid of small spaces.) To access it, from Sanddrif go through the Valley of the Red Gods (either walk or drive), and then follow the path up the mountain. If you start at the campsite, you’ll hike about 2.5km with 500m elevation gain. At the top, a lot of scrambling on large rocks is involved. When you see a wide gorge on your left, you are close. Look out for cairns leading you to the right. You will need to climb up a narrow ledge (there’s a rope and some metal rungs) and then follow the rope along the ledge to the right along the cliff face. This will then come around the cliff such that you now need to climb steadily up. Follow the cairns and arrows and you will find yourself in the Narrow Crack. A headlamp might be useful, but not necessary as there’s only one dark section to squeeze through. Continue through the cracks following the arrows and cairns to find your way through the gorge. At one point there is a large boulder wedged between the rock walls. You can either climb over this or shimmy under it – I preferred the shimmy.
At the end of the Narrow Crack you can either return to Sanddrif via Wide Crack or continue on another 4km to Wolfberg Arch. The way there is relatively flat with only 120m of total elevation gain, but it is very exposed to sun so make sure you have water and proper sun protection. To get to the arch, always follow the cairns. To return from the arch, either come back the way you came (7km total back to Sanddrif) or continue straight to return via Die Trap to make a loop trail. This second option is 11km long. The first part brings you steeply down a gorge before looping you down the mountain and onto an old jeep track. The only bit is really quite unpleasant is the part that the trail gets its namesake from – the trap. There’s a little section, completely unavoidable, that is completely thick in mud, water, and muck. Otherwise, this way back is perhaps easier on the knees than returning via the original way up.
For the Cracks and the Arch, you will need to get a permit from the Dwarsrivier reception centre.
Another longer hike in the area is out to Maltese Cross (3 to 4 hours). The hike starts near the Dwarsrivier reception centre and you can get a permit there. It’s relatively flat for the most part minus a steep ascent at the end.
If you’re keen on shorter hikes, there are a few scattered about, but a nice one is up to the Middleberg waterfall from the Algeria campsite and will take you about 2.5 hours there and back.
For rock climbers, you can check out Truitjieskraal in the vicinity of the Stadsaal Caves.
Check out some San rock art while you are in the area. There are a few places you can visit. If you hike up towards Wolfberg Arch or the Cracks, you’ll pass a small rock formation with some art. Down the road from Sanddrif, are the Stadsaal caves where you can see rock art of elephants near the entrance. Afterwards, you can explore the caves which are pretty impressive – I even saw some leopard prints in the sand. But my favourite place to find rock art is on the Sevilla Rock Art trail. The 5km trail snakes along a riverbed and brings you close to many beautiful different examples of well-preserved rock art. You get a map with the locations of the art, but it’s still a bit of a scavenger hunt. Sometimes you’ll have to crawl under boulders to find the art.
As a non-wine drinker, I tend to think of wine tasting as a necessary burden to enjoying the lovely views wine farms have, but I have to say, the Cederberg Wines tasting was the best tasting experience I’ve had – and not just because I had 13 glasses of wine that day. For just 50 ZAR per person you can taste 8 excellent whites and 5 reds produced in South Africa’s highest winery. You can go walk off the giggles on the 4km Lot’s Wife and Window Cracks trail just down the road.
On your way to and from Cederberg, stop by a farm stall. De Tol Farm Deli has excellent roosterkoek. For just 38 ZAR you can get a filling roosterkoek with bacon, egg, and cheese. Desert Rose Farm Stall has cute little rustic farm style gifts and a cafe with overflowing milkshakes and fresh scones. Just be sure to check their closing times – everything tends to close a bit early on Sundays.
If you’ve got more time and you’re feeling adventurous, try one of the multi-day hikes in the area. This two-day hike to Die Hel through Groot Winterhoek Wilderness is something you won’t regret.
Good to Know
Fill up on fuel before you take on the remote dirt roads. One of the last points is at a Caltex on the N7 just before the turnoff to Algeria and Sanddrif.
If you choose to visit the Sevilla rock art trail, beware of Google Maps navigation suggestions. Unless you’ve got a 4×4, you will want to check that you aren’t driving somewhere your car can’t handle. We found this out the hard way when we drove a low clearance 2WD Kia Rio from Wupperthal to Sanddrif via the direct route and found ourselves navigating a 4×4 route at 20kph.
While the Dwarsrivier reception centre has wood and basic snacks and drinks, you’ll want to bring all the food you need for your trip with you.
You do not need an SUV to access the campsites in the Cederberg. A normal sedan driven carefully will do just fine.
