Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve

The Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site, part of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve, lies roughly 120 km west of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

©Jacques Marais
Scenic view of Baviaanskloof, Eastern Cape.

Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve is one of the largest wilderness conservation areas in the country, and seven out of the eight South African biomes are present in the 260 000 ha reserve and over 500 000 ha conservancy area. The 'Valley of Baboons' is a true wilderness and a wide variety of wildlife reside in the area including Baboon, Bushbuck, Tortoise, Kudu, Bush Pig, Caracal, Mountain Zebra, Leopard, Black Rhino and Cape Buffalo.

The primitive and isolated Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve is steeped in myth and legend. The Baviaanskloof legends are not only from the animal kingdom. Numerous examples of rock art can be seen, and the human history is littered with legend and fable. The recommended route to Geelhoutbos is via Willowmore. Follow the N9 south from Willowmore and take the R332 turnoff to Nuwekloofpas, Rietrivier, Studtis and Geelhoutbos.

Access into the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve from Port Elizabeth is along the R331 through Hankey and Patensie. As it is recommended to approach Geelhoutsbos from the Willowmore side, if you do not have a 4x4 vehicle you can either head via Steytlerville to Willowmore, or, alternatively via Kareedouw, Avontuur and Uniondale to Willowmore.

Baviaanskloof Rock Art

The Baviaanskloof region is blessed with numerous natural caves and Baviaanskloof rock art found in rock shelters, many of which were inhabi...more

Eastern Cape Coastal Route

The Eastern Cape Coastal Route covers the length of the Eastern Cape Province stretching across a number of districts. The route starts at T...more

History of Baviaanskloof

Baviaanskloof got its name from the Dutch word, meaning ‘Baboon Valley’ due to the large baboon population living in the area....more

Nature in Baviaanskloof

Turn east off the N9 onto the R332 through the Baviaanskloof, a narrow valley with a multitude of kloofs. Its wildness is protected by bein...more

Steytlerville Attractions

Steytlerville is situated in the Baviaans area, which boasts three converging biomes - Karoo, valley bushveld and fynbos. Over 200 bird spec...more

Willowmore Attractions

"Vulture Mountain", overlooking Willowmore, is one of the few places in the Karoo where coastal fynbos grows. The mountain offers panoramic ...more