De Rust Places of Interest (original) (raw)

Attractions IN De Rust

Nature Reserves

Kammanassie Nature Reserve

Lying in the Little Karoo between the Swartberg and Outeniqua Mountains, lies an inselberg or monadnock - an isolated hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from the surrounding plain - called Kammanassie Mountain. The entire mountain catchment area, ...

Natural Wonders

Meiringspoort

The towering sandstone cliff walls and breathtaking rock formations of Meiringspoort lie on the N12 between Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn. The poort follows the natural gorge hewn by the Groot Rivier (big river) through the Swartberg range connecting, on ...

Attractions AROUND De Rust

Nature Reserves

Anysberg Nature Reserve

In the heart of the Cape Fold Mountains, the natural abundance of the Anysberg Nature Reserve is situated in the Little Karoo of the Western Cape. Anysberg is a four-hour drive from the capital city of Cape Town, and is surrounded by the Karoo towns of ...

National Parks

Bontebok National Park

Sheltered by the Langeberg Mountains and bordered to the south by the Breede River, the Bontebok National Park provides a refuge for not only bontebok, but also for other species such as the Cape mountain zebra, red hartebeest and grey rhebok. The park ...

Natural Wonders

Cango Caves

Almost 30 kilometres outside of Outshoorn in the Klein Karoo, and certainly one of the main reasons for placing this little town on your itinerary, other than the prospect of riding an ostrich, lie the Cango Caves, some of the biggest stalagmite ...

Nature Reserves

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

Lying in the Little Karoo is the remote Gamka mountain range, isolated because of the conduit of the Gouritz River that slices between the Gamkaberg, and its nearest neighbour, the Rooiberg. The Gamkaberg Nature Reserve encompasses almost the whole ...

Nature Reserves

Gamkapoort Nature Reserve

Gamkapoort Nature Reserve lies to the north of the Swartberg Nature Reserve, whilst Towerkop Nature Reserve lies to the west. Together, they form part of the Greater Swartberg Protected Area, a World Heritage Site that lies between the Great and Little ...

Wine Estates

Klein Karoo Wine Estates

The dry, harsh conditions of the Klein Karoo are actually ideal for the production of excellent wines. The summers are very hot and dry, while winters can hit major lows. The range of wines produced here is extremely varied as a result of this unique ...

Wine Routes

Klein Karoo Wine Route

A little surprising, perhaps - that grapes can grow in a semi-arid area - but grow they do in this region, renowned for its extremes in soils and climate. Despite the low rainfall for the area, viticulture happens in the riverine sites, kloofs and ...

Mountain Passes

Kredouw Pass

The Kredouw Pass lies on the R407 from Prince Albert, where it runs parallel to the Swartberg Mountains. The pass proper starts roughly 25 km from the little Karoo town, after turning left off the R328 onto the R407. The initial climb is the best bit of ...

Landmarks / Mandela Route / Popular Tourist Routes

Route 62

Route 62 is modeled after the iconic US Route 66, made famous by the late, great Nat King Cole in the song of the mid 20th century. Travelers headed for the Garden Route will find that Route 62 offers a better alternative to the dull N2 motorway between ...

Mountain Passes

Schoemans Poort

Schoemans Poort links Oudtshoorn with the Cango Caves, a popular tourist attraction of the Klein Karoo. Despite its frequent use, the pass suffers something of a Cinderella complex, paling by comparison with its contemporaries the Swartberg Pass, ...

Mountain Passes / Mountain Reserves / Uniquely South African

Swartberg Mountain Complex

The Swartberg Mountain Complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of only six botanical kingdoms on earth. This is no mean feat, considering that it only occupies 0.04% of the surface of the earth, which testifies ...

Miscellaneous / Natural Wonders

The Red Hills

The valley in which the little Karoo town of Calitzdorp rests, beneath its prominent red hills stretching, virtually, all the way to De Rust (you can�t help but notice them whilst driving Route 62, particularly at sunrise or sunset when ...

... and a little further afield

Landmarks / Mountain Passes

Bosluiskloof Pass

On the road between Laingsburg and the Gamkapoort Dam lies Bosluiskloof Pass, one of a number of beautiful passes in the area. There are views from some of the higher parts of the pass out over a series of mountain ranges that are absolutely incredible ...

Landmarks / Popular Tourist Routes

Cogmanskloof Pass

Cogmanskloof, sometimes also spelt Kogmanskloof, is the pass through which one drives between the towns of Montagu and Ashton in the Western Cape. It is the same pass of the famous tunnel, of the same name. Actually it is more like a hole through the ...

Nature Reserves

Floriskraal Dam

Floriskraal Dam is a dam about which few people know that lies on the Buffels River south east of Laingsburg in the Karoo that was built in 1957. It lies surrounded by gentle hills and mountains and scrubby fynbos. In the 1981 Laingsburg floods it was ...

Lakes / Dams / Landmarks

Gamkapoort Dam

The Gamkapoort Dam lies on the Gamka River, near Prince Albert in the Karoo. Which might position it in your mind geographically, but does nothing to describe or capture the beauty of this part of the country - a landscape that lies in the heart of the ...

Landmarks / Mountain Passes

Garcia's Pass

Garcia's Pass links the towns of Riversdale and Ladismith in the Karoo. Back in the old days the only route through the Langeberg Mountains was via the Plattekloof Pass, something of a detour for farmers who wanted to reach Riversdale and subsequently ...

Popular Tourist Routes

Gouritz Biodiversity Meander

The Gouritz Biodiversity Meander lies in the heart of the Succulent Karoo. It runs along the foot of the Swartberg Mountain Range, a World Heritage Site in its own right, and follows the Swartberg-Gamka-Rooiberg biodiversity corridor � an area incredibly ...

Botanical Gardens

Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden

In Roux Road on the outskirts of Worcester, some 120 kilometres from Cape Town, lies a unique gem of a garden - the only truly succulent garden in the southern hemisphere, and indeed Africa, that displays one of the largest collection of indigenous ...

National Parks

Karoo National Park

The Karoo National Park is situated close to the N1 highway between Cape Town and the hinterland, approximately 1000 km south of Johannesburg and 500 km north of Cape Town. Because of the sparse vegetation game viewing in the Karoo National Park is ...

Mountain Passes

Klipspringer Pass

The Klipspringer Pass takes one up to one of the best view points in the Karoo National Park, which you'll find just outside the town of Beaufort West. It's an easy pass to drive, although there are several sharp ...

Landmarks / Mountain Passes

Molteno Pass

Said to be South Africa's first mountain pass, Molteno Pass links Beaufort West to Loxton, in effect joining the oldest town in the area to the Northern Cape. It lies in the Nuweveld Mountains on R381, completed in 1881 and named after the first Prime ...

De Rust as a destination

Also in the neighbourhood

Barrydale, Beaufort West, Calitzdorp, De Doorns, De Vlugt, Herold, Klaarstroom, Ladismith, Laingsburg, Matjiesfontein, Murraysburg, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert, Sanbona, Touws River, Uniondale, Van Wyksdorp

Staying Overnight

Guest House