This morning leave Langebaan and drive 2.5-hours to the scenic Cederberg Mountains, travelling either inland through the Piekernierskloof Pass, or using the longer coastal route.
For birders we suggest taking the coastal route, as the Lower Berg River at Velddrif is a great place to spot a few waders. Where the road runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean keep a look out for the endemic Heaviside’s dolphin just beyond the surf. The bird reserve at Rocherpan has a few bird hides. You will drive past the large wetland at Verlorenvlei and from Elands Bay you will take a dust road north along the coast, via the saltpan at Wadrif. At Lambert’s Bay you can view an endemic Cape gannet colony at close quarters, one of only six breeding colonies in the world, as well as African penguins, terns, cormorants and gulls.
Continue inland to the dramatic Cederberg Mountains, which are composed of sedimentary sandstone richly coloured by iron oxides. Over millennia these mountains have been twisted and sculpted into a remarkable range of fantastic rock formations. The area has a mix of diverse mountain fynbos and hardy succulents of the semi-arid Karoo. The Clanwilliam cedar tree, which gives the area its name, grows at an altitude of over 1,000m. It was heavily exploited by early settlers, as a result of which it is almost extinct, but there is now a concerted effort to re-plant these trees in suitable areas of the mountains.
Time permitting, at Clanwilliam you can visit the Ramskop Wildflower Garden, which boasts over 350 different species of indigenous wildflowers and wonderful views of the Cederberg Mountains (pay entrance fee locally). The best viewing is between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its warmest.
Afterwards check into your hotel in this region of dramatically beautiful rocky mountain scenery, renowned for its Bushmen paintings.