15 things to do in the Cederberg mountains – Roxanne Reid

By Roxanne Reid
About 220km from Cape Town, the Cederberg Wilderness Area makes a great weekend getaway. Whether you’re all about hiking and mountain biking or more of a heritage and culture buff, there’s something for everyone. And if you just want to kick back with a glass of wine and soak in the view of the mountains as the clouds drift by, that’s fine too. Here’s my pick of things to do in the Cederberg.

There are so many choices for your hiking experience, from 1hr to 8hr trails or even overnight adventures, depending on your fitness level and how you’re feeling. Want to check out a waterfall? Take a walk from Algeria’s campsite up to the Middelburg waterfall, which should take around three hours there and back, not including time spent at the waterfall. Feeling a bit more adventurous? Hike to the Maltese Cross or go all out to the stunning Wolfberg Arch.

There’s a heritage route too, with guided slackpacking overnight hikes. Find out more about these heritage hikes here.

Get permits from one of the Cape Nature offices in the area. You also need a day permit from the relevant landowner (e.g. if you want to overnight at Wolfberg Arch & Cracks, you need an overnight permit from Cape Nature as well as a day hike permit from the Sanddrif office at Dwarsrivier. Sanddrif also issues permits for Maltese Cross and Stadsaal Caves.)

Get useful trail maps here that you can download offline to your phone on the free Forge app. Don’t forget to bring water, a hat, sunglasses, and some sunblock if it’s summer. Pack something warm if it’s winter. Also, it’s a good idea to let someone know which route you’re taking, in case of an emergency. For more info on the host of options go to ‘What to do’ and then ‘Hiking and walking’ on this link.

2. Grab your mountain bike

Grab your mountain bike and hit those public gravel roads or check out one of the awesome MTB trails. There’s a trail for everyone here, from families to fitness freaks. Try CapeNature’s relatively easy 3.3km Rock Jumper trail or the moderately difficult 6.6km Honey Badger trail. Be aware that these are currently fairly overgrown but plans are to give them a good clearing in the New Year. Just a heads-up: you’ll need to pay a day visitor’s fee for a permit at Algeria reception office before you hit the trail – they’re open from 7:30 seven days a week. 

There are also five mtb trails at Cederberg Park, Kromrivier, taking in some of the best attractions like Truitjieskraal (see points 3 and 5), Stadsaal Caves and Rock Art (see points 4 and 5). Sanddrif also offers a number of mtb trails from 7-34km long; contact them and they can send you a brochure about them.

Get more info about other trails here.

3. Go climbing and bouldering 

One Cederberg area that’s hugely popular with climbers is Truitjieskraal near Kromrivier, where the rock formations are perfect for sport and trad climbing. The Mountain Club of South Africa has developed multiple routes in this area, with evocative names like Dragon’s Lair, Punks in the Cederberg, Can Can Alley, and Alzheimer’s Gulley. Find out more about these routes here.

If you​’re really serious about getting to know all the sport routes here and the whole of the Cederberg, buy a copy of Tony Lourens’ new Cederberg Rock: a guide to sport climbing in the Cederberg and surrounds. Get it from Cederberg Park at Kromrivier, Dwarsrivier, Nuwerus, Rocklands, or buy it online here.

Note that no camping is allowed at Truitjieskraal (but there’s camping and accommodation nearby at Cederberg Park) and that you need a permit. The closest place to get one is from Cederberg Park at Kromrivier. There’s a fee unless you have a Wild Card or are a member of the Mountain Club of South Africa.

Rocklands is also a well known destination that’s heaven for keen climbers. Find it along the R364 just over 20km from Clanwilliam. The orange sandstone here creates all sorts of holds, making it perfect for bouldering, single pitch sport and trad climbing. You’ll find routes for everyone – from total newbies to those brave enough to tackle the really tough climbs. There are about 3000 bouldering problems spread across 53 crags in a whopping 200 square kilometres. You’ll find some helpful route guides here. For permits, contact Cape Nature or get them from Quicket here. Some accommodation/camping options nearby include Cape Nature’s Kliphuis, De Pakhuys, and Traveller’s Rest (see links in point 13).

4. Explore the Stadsaal Caves

Drive 40km from Algeria to the impressive Stadsaal Caves at Matjiesrivier. Get a permit and code for the locked gate from the Algeria office first, or from the Sanddrif office at Dwarsrivier.  The main cavern is impressive, but you can explore along a trail to discover many smaller openings and unusual formations. If you’re a keen photographer, you’ll want to spend at least a couple of hours here. Try to get there early while the light is soft and before there are too many people. Find out more and see lots of pics of Stadsaal Caves here.

5. Discover rock art

On your way to the Stadsaal Caves in the Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve, take some time to see well-preserved KhoiSan rock paintings depicting elephants. (You’ll need to stop at the Algeria office first to get a permit and the code for the locked gate.) The painting is over 1000 years old and the paint mostly made from ochre rock.

The 1.5km Truitjieskraal Interpretive Trail in the Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve is also rewarding, taking you past interesting stone formations and rock paintings. Info boards along the way tell you more about the history and culture of the environment you’re walking through. You need a permit and the code for a locked gate from CapeNature’s Algeria or Matjiesrivier offices, or Cederberg Park at Kromrivier. It’s not a difficult trail and it’s not far from the Stadsaal Caves (see point 4) so can be combined with a visit there.

You can also tackle the Sevilla Rock Art Trail off the Pakhuis Pass (R364), about 34km from Clanwilliam. The trail starts at the Traveller’s Rest Farmstall, where you can buy your permit. There are nine rock art sites left behind by the San people who inhabited the area for thousands of years. The 5km round trip will take about 2.5 to 3 hours to complete, depending on how long you spend at each site. Stop at the farmstall for coffee and cake or a meal afterwards.

6. Gaze at the stars

Go stargazing at the Cederberg Astronomical Observatory 2km from Dwarsrivier or about 26km from Algeria. There’s a slide show and a chance to look through telescopes to see favourites like the Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds, Alpha Centauri and Herschel’s Jewel Box, as well as nebulae, comets and planets. The observatory is open on Saturday evenings, weather permitting, except Saturdays closest to full moon. Check the schedule on their website (link above)/ Book ahead; there’s a link to Quicket on the website. It’s also a great spot to do astrophotography; contact astrocapetown.

If you’re not in the Cederberg on a Saturday night, just lie back and enjoy the night sky in this area where there’s little light or air pollution.

7. See Lot’s Wife and Window Rocks

Take a drive from Algeria up Uitkyk Pass to Dwarsrivier to enjoy the mountain scenery. Watch out for the sign to Lot’s Wife just before Dwarsrivier (about 28km from Algeria). With a little bit of imagination, the rock looks like a person turned to salt as in the bible story. Park your car and explore the rock formations on foot along a trail that should take you about 90min. Look out for the Window Rocks along the way; if you’re a keen photographer you may want to spend more time here to appreciate the angles and views. No permit needed for this hike on Sanddrif’s private property.

8. Spot the animals
During your activities in the Cederberg, see if you can spot some mammals like eland, grey rhebok, klipspringer, duiker, baboon, dassie, and caracal. Other animals that occur here but are seldom seen include porcupine, honeybadger, aardvark, and Cape clawless otter. There are Cape leopards here too, although these elusive cats tend to avoid humans as much as they can.

9. See Fynbos and spring flowers

The Cederberg forms part of the Cape floral region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the Fynbos of the area, from red disas and snow proteas in summer to vygies, daisies and other annual flowering plants in spring. One of my favourite areas for a blaze of spring flowers in August and September is the Biedouw Valley some 50km east of Clanwilliam via the Pakhuis Pass.

10. Go birding

More than 100 species of birds are present in the Cederberg. Look out for raptors like Verreaux’s eagle, jackal buzzard and rock kestrel, or many smaller birds like Diederik and Klaas’s cuckoo. Local specials include the Cape bunting, fairy flycatcher, freckled nightjar, Cape rockjumper, orange-breasted sunbird, and mountain wheatear.

11. Enjoy wine tasting

Visit Cederberg Wines at Dwarsrivier for a tasting of anything from a Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) to unusual white wines like bukettraube and sauvignon gris, as well as reds like cabernet sauvignon and a merlot/shiraz blend….