The Cederberg lies only 2½ hours north from Cape Town, however you feel as if you are in a different world. The country changes: wilder, warmer with a raw, dramatic beauty. The towering Cederberg Mountains, brilliant purple, orange and pink in the late afternoon light, preside over fruit-filled valleys laden with the scent of orange blossom in the spring.
The Cederberg Heritage Route is the collective name for 6 walking trails in the Cederberg Mountains ranging from 2 to 8 nights. The trails make this beautiful area accessible to walkers who don’t wish to bushcamp. You sleep in simple community guest houses, in the Moravian mission villages - where time seems to have stood still - as well as guesthouses in or near Clanwilliam. The trails are fully inclusive; you are escorted by local community guides whilst your bags are taken to the next night’s stay. Accommodation is modest in the mission villages, with a group sharing bathroom facilities.
The Trails:
• Klein Krakadouw Trail – 2 or 3 night easy trail ideal for a weekend trip and great for families
• Groot Krakadouw Trail – 3 or 4 night route heading deeper into the Cederberg
• Wupperthal Trail – 3 or 4 night route, can include a hike up Krakadouw Peak
• Pakhuis Trail – stunning 3 or 4 night route, more suited to keen and active hikers
• Gabriel Trail – 4 night remote trail into the central Cederberg wilderness
• Finally the epic Cederberg 100km is an impressive 8 night trail following the spine of the Cederberg Mountains
The trails offer swimming in mountain rock pools, rugged unspoilt mountain vistas, sometimes guided rock art tours and donkey cart rides. The scenery is magnificent and the fynbos is stunning, especially in the spring, from August to October.