Karoo-Overberg Geography
Barrydale is a wonderful destination for nature lovers, offering unsurpassed vistas of mountains, hills and valleys, covered in a blanket of flowers along the Karoo-Overberg geography. Guests can enjoy pleasant walks along footpaths in the semi-arid Klein Karoo, to more adventurous climbs in the foothills of the Langeberg Mountain Range.
Barrydale enjoys an idyllic climate with year-round sunny weather. Winters are fresh, and the region may even experience light frost on the coldest days. Barrydale is situated about three hours by road from Cape Town. The Tradouw Mountain Pass is a beautiful pass linking Barrydale on the R62 with the N2 between Swellendam and Heidelberg and offers visitors to the small town a scenic drive.
This beautiful mountain pass and locale are eclipsed by the town’s friendly and quirky residents. Do not be surprised if you walk away with lasting friendships as well as great photographs of your time in Barrydale.
The Tradouw Valley
Barrydale, the gem of the Tradouw Valley, is found at the base of the awe-inspiring Langeberg Mountain Range. With its unsurpassed vistas of the Langeberg Mountain Range, striking hills and rich valleys, Barrydale is a must-see for nature and small-town lovers alike. The climate of Barrydale is nothing short of ideal with its perennial sunny weather.
Even winters are pleasantly tempered though light frost has been known to occur on particularly cold days. You are in for a visual treat if you find yourself during the spring and summer months in the wonderful Barrydale landscape. Flushed with a colourful blanket of flowers, Barrydale during the warmer months makes for the perfect backdrop for snapshots of your travels through the Tradouw Valley.
The Tradouw Pass
The Tradouw Pass is the work of the 19th century road engineer, Sir Thomas Bain. He has been accredited with the development of 24 mountain and road passes, most notably the Tradouw Pass which is close to Barrydale. How the Tradouw Pass came about is a story fraught with practical thinking and necessity. The farmers who were settled in the Klein Karoo and Overberg region of the past required the smooth delivery of their produce, which hitherto had been a laborious task to successfully achieve. With Thomas Bain’s expertise and the use of convict labour the Tradouw Pass, one among four such passes, was built.
Tradouw Pass is derived from the Khoi word ‘tradau’, which loosely translated means ‘the way of women’. For the romantically inclined, this naming is succinct in that the Tradouw Pass is a spectacular feat touched by natural splendour such as the wildflowers and pool that emerge during the warmer months and the waterfalls known to occur during the colder season.
Not to mention the high ranking afforded the mountain pass among tarred passes of South Africa. The pass has been renewed and preserved, allowing the work of Sir Thomas Bain’s engineering vision to be retained as well as ensuring visitors to this breathtaking part of the Karoo-Overberg are thoroughly spoiled with natural charm.
Barrydale is just one of many unique towns along the popular Route 62, and most travellers remember it for either one of these: great farm s...