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Need To Know
» getting there » the roads » climate » packing » cederberg wilderness » health » safety » mountain provisions
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How to get to the Cederberg
The Cederberg region is 2 to 2˝ hours drive from Cape Town depending on where you are staying in the Cederberg.
Direct Route – the direct route is to join the N7 at Cape Town, or Malmesbury if you are coming from the Winelands, and travel north until after the Pikenierskloof Pass. You are then in the Oliphants River Valley at the foot of the Cederberg mountains. The two main towns, Citrusdal and Clanwilliam, are in this valley, and the main road to the central Cederberg (Algeria Forest Station, Cederberg Cellars, Stadsaal etc) is signposted off the N7 approx 25km north of Citrusdal with a low water bridge. (In winter check whether the low water bridge from the N7 is open as it closes after heavy rain. When this happens you can always take the gravel road north from Citrusdal).
Alternative Scenic Routes
There are many alternative routes for extra variety but these will take longer…
R27 via the West Coast
- Take the R27 past Bloubergstrand, the West Coast National Park, Langebaan - and even Paternoster - and onto Veldrif. At Veldrif you take the R399 to Piketberg to join the N7,
- or continue north via Elands Bay, Leipoldtville, and Graafwater to Clanwilliam. This would take 3 to 3˝ hours.
*We recommend taking the whole day to meander up the West Coast or stay overnight.
R303 via Ceres to Citrusdal
Another popular scenic route, from the Winelands or Route 62, is to travel to Ceres and then take the R303 north over the Gydo Pass to Citrusdal. This route is mostly tarred and travels through valleys of deciduous fruit farms. However there is 30km of gravel over the Middleberg Pass so you need to be reasonably adventurous!
Road to the central Cederberg via Ceres and Matjiesrivier
If you are staying in the central Cederberg mountains eg. at Mount Ceder, Kromrivier or Sandrif, you can take the R303 from Ceres and then take the gravel road to the east at Op die Berg. This becomes a gravel road through some stunning mountain scenery and is suitable for all vehicles.
If coming from the Route 62, Hermanus, or Swellendam N2
Head to Worcester. Join the N1 briefly for 1km in the direction of Cape Town. Then take the R43for 25km until you get to a T junction. Turn right for 7km and then turn left to travel through Wolseley. Turn left at the T junction onto the R46. You can visit the pretty town of Tulbagh (just off the road) at this point. Continue on the R46 through the gentle Nuwekloof Pass and turn right onto the R44 at Gouda to head to Porterville. Take this road for 100km through Porterville until it joins the N7 highway. Continue over the Pikenierskloof Pass into Cederberg region…
(If staying in the central Cederberg, continue past the turnoff for Wolseley and onto Ceres and then follow directions above)
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What are the roads like?
The main roads of the Cederberg are tarred but many of the attractions of this mountain area are on gravel roads. You do
NOT need
a
4x4
to drive these roads and an ordinary sedan car will be fine as long as you drive carefully. If the road is a government road,
then
you
are
entitled to take rental cars onto gravel roads.
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Climate
The Cederberg has a great climate – hot sunny days throughout summer and mild, often sunny days in winter.
Spring – Early August to September
As with most spring weather worldwide, our spring is variable with some beautiful sunny and warm days and some cooler weather.
There is a possibility of rain until the end of September. The evenings are generally still cool to cold.
Summer – November to March
Summer generally starts around early November and is characterized by hot to very hot dry sunny weather. Rain is highly unlikely.
Our summers are much hotter than the rest of the Western Cape so if you like to be active, we recommend starting your days early and then enjoying a restful afternoon siesta or swim during the heat of the day. The evenings are generally warm and most meals are taken outside.
Autumn – April to mid May
Autumn is a great time to visit the Cederberg. The weather remains warm through April and swimming is still a pleasure. Gradually the nights become cooler and the days are cool enough to enjoy more strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking.
Winter – mid May to early August
The winter climate of the Cederberg is a pleasure. We are in the winter rainfall region of South Africa, but the Oliphants River valley (Clanwilliam and Citrusdal) get far less rain than the rest of the Western Cape with an annual rainfall of 180mm (classified semi-desert). Thus our winter days are often dry, sunny and mild to warm. However our nights are cold once the sun sets. The winter is an ideal time for rock-climbing, bouldering and walking.
The high Cederberg mountains get much more rain (over 1000mm in parts) and can have snow on the peaks. If heading to the central Cederberg in winter check ahead whether the low water bridge from the N7 is open as it closes after heavy rain).
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What to pack
This depends on the season and what activities you are planning but broadly speaking:
- Comfortable shoes or sandals in which you can walk on uneven ground and which you don’t feel precious about if they
get
a little dirty
- Hat
- Long trousers if planning to walk
- Small torch
- Insect repellent (between October and April)
- Swimming towel (November to March)
- Small cooler bag is useful to keep drinks/water cold (November to March)
Spring
Variety of clothing as the weather can change. It can be very warm during the day (so short-sleeves are needed) but then
cold at
night.
You
may still have some rain so a light rain jacket is advised.
Summer
It can be very hot so please bring hat, sunblock, swimming costume – even if you don’t plan to swim – you may well change
your mind
when you get here!
Autumn
As with spring, our autumn starts any time from late March to mid April so bring a variety of clothing. Evenings are usually
not cold yet but we might get some early rain showers so a rainjacket is advised.
Winter
It is usually very cold when the sun sets in the Cederberg so please bring a warm jacket and sweater. If you feel the cold,
bring
gloves
and
a scarf as well. Daytime temperatures range from cool to quite warm so bring a short sleeved top or two.
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Cederberg Wilderness Reserve
The Cederberg Wilderness & Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve are operated by Cape Nature and require a permit to enter
(picnic
or walk).
Permits are available from Algeria Forest Station, Dwarsrivier farm, Clanwilliam Info office and Cedarberg
African Travel.
Please note that there are no places to buy food or drinks in the Cederberg Wilderness Reserve so you will need to take all
your provisions
with you. This sometimes catches people out!
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Health
- The Cederberg is a malaria-free area and we have no particular health concerns here.
- The tap water is completely drinkable.
- We do have mosquitos from October to April so we advise bringing insect repellent.
- Your biggest health concern is getting sun-burnt or dehydrated so please bring sunblock & a hat. Take plenty of water with
you on a day
excursion and especially if you are walking in the mountains.
It is completely safe to refill your water bottles from the mountain
streams as
the water is pure.
However in summer many of the streams may be dry so please don’t rely on being able to refill water bottles.
- The Cederberg is a country area and it is Africa so insects are much more common than in Europe. It is not a sign of lack of
cleanliness on
the part of your lodge or guesthouse but an everyday fact of life.
- There is a provincial hospital in Clanwilliam in case you need medical attention and several doctors in both Clanwilliam and
Citrusdal.
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Safety
The Cederberg is a country area and generally very safe. It is safe to enjoy a walk, bike ride or run without worry of crime.
As in all parts of the world, we recommend that you are careful with your valuable belongings such as cameras and cellphones
and not to leave these unattended.
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Provisions in the Cederberg mountains
There are very few places to buy food or drink, and most importantly, fuel outside Clanwilliam and Citrusdal. Please ensure that you fill your tank before taking a day excursion and take a picnic lunch and plenty of water/drinks with you. There are farm stalls on the N7 highway and just outside Clanwilliam. There is also a coffee shop in Wupperthal but it is closed from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning.
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