Leisure Activities
At the southern end of the Cederberg Mountains, about 60 Km south of Clanwilliam on the N7, is the attractive riverside town of Citrusdal. As the name implies, there are several large citrus farms in the area and tours can be arranged during the harvest season. Citrusdal offers visitors the usual array of shops, accommodation, restaurants and a wide range of leisure activities.
These include hiking trails, 4x4 trails, quad biking, canoeing in the Olifants River, rock climbing, a golf course and mountain biking. The popular Cape Nature campsites of the Cederberg can be accessed via the gravel Nieuwoudt’s Pass, which winds up into the mountains about 20 Km north of town.
There are several good wildflower routes around Citrusdal, including the ‘Bo-Rivier’ road that runs between the banks of the Olifants River and the steep flanks of the Cederberg. The road up to The Baths hot springs resort is another popular route for bird spotters.
You can also try the road to Paleisheuwel, which can be reached from the top of Pikenierskloof Pass (Ravine of the Pike Men, who were soldiers armed with long spears that used to protect this important access point to the north). From Citrusdal, you can either head off to the Strandveld region along the West Coast, or you can continue south, over the majestic Piekenier’s Kloof Pass to Cape Town, which is 170 Km away.
Roads to Explore
Eastwards from Citrusdal is the Buffelshoek Pass, which is a spectacular route over the mountains. Enjoy tarmac for the first 7 Km, which then becomes a gravel surface that winds through some amazing rock formations and scenery. Eight kilometres from Citrusdal is a 24 m high waterfall with a natural swimming pool at its base. A further 20 Km down the road a turn off leads to Sandfontein Farm, which is a popular base for some mountaineering.
From here you can visit the Sandfontein Arch, a natural wonder of stone erosion. The main road continues through a narrow ravine (at 32 Km) and emerges onto a rugged plateau called the Kouebokkeveld. The plateau is studded with beautiful looking farms and is dominated by the rugged slopes of the Skurweburg Mountains in the west.
The strange rock shapes formed by the mountains resemble an ancient battlefield, where it said that the men fought with such bestiality that the gods were offended and punished the warriors by petrifying them into these weird rock formations. At 55 Km the road is once again tarred, a further 14 Km takes the road to the hamlet of Op De Berg (on the mountain).
From Op De Berg, there is a turn off heading through the Cedar Mountains and on to Wuppertal. At 93 Km a tarmac turnoff west takes you into the fruit farming valley of the Achterwitsenberg (behind the Witsenberg). This drive offers some beautiful scenery and ends in a cul de sac. Following this road, for the first 5 km on tarmac, there is a gravel turnoff signposted “Witsenberg Vlakte”, which meanders past many fruit farms for 26.5 Km and ends at a pool known as Visgat (fish hole).
Here the Olifants River cascades into the head of its upper gorge. For the brave, you can swim or ride on a lilo down through the gorge, with a one and half hour trek back to your vehicle. The main Citrusdal road (after the turn-off to the Achterwitsenberg) drops down via the spectacular Gydo (euphorbia) Pass into the Ceres valley, reaching Prince Alfred Hamlet at 101 Km from Citrusdal.
This route provides a fine circular drive, Cape Town, Citrusdal, Ceres back to Cape Town. It is a highly recommended route, especially in September or October when the orchards are in blossom.
Guests in search of a serene vacation environment with natural splendour should opt for accommodation in Citrusdal, a beautiful agricultural...