The South Western Cape is full of best kept secrets, and Grootvadersbosch just outside Swellendam is one of them…
This time last year the father person and I were lucky enough to get away for the weekend. All the while we had been thinking that our children would miss us terribly, we had put it off for years in fact, only to discover that they had the time of their lives with friends. We went adventuring. Swellendam got a lot of attention earlier this year on our blog when I blogged about the Swellendam Winter School… Grootvadersbosch is just outside of Swellendam and is the perfect place to escape, perfect for collapsing and refreshing your soul, as well as hiking and trail running and miles and miles of cycle tracks. There is bird-watching and wildlife, and plants you may never have seen before… really it is like stepping onto another planet.
‘Tis the Season
Perfect for stunning sunsets…
Reading…
Patience…
And puzzles…
Chilly chess…
Next to warming fires…
And coffee with cream…
All together breathtakingly beautiful…
Grootvadersbosch Conservancy
We stayed in the Grootvadersbos Conservancy… which is a collection of privately owned farms and farmlands that have joined together to protect and conserve their unique environment… where Cape Fynbos and Afro-mountain Plant Kingdoms overlap, just between the Langeberg mountains and the ocean. Click on the link to their website to find out about the accommodation in the area and things to do and see there.
With quiet corners to explore…
And views for miles… really miles…
Beautiful misty mornings… forest walks and cycle tracks.
Did I mention the place where Cape floral kingdoms collide.
And just all round beautiful…
Grootvadersbosch Cape Nature
Alongside the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy is the Grootvadersbosch Cape Nature Game Reserve. The Cape Nature Reserve has self-catering accommodation and camping, as well as hiking trails and mountain bike trails… it is a great place to escape from the madding crowds.
We went on an afternoon hike there… really an easy walk, and it is like stepping into another world…
Streams to explore, stunning forest and surprise of surprise… Giant California Redwood Trees.
Giant Redwood trees, what unexpected magnificence…
Walk a little further and discover the Bird Hide…
You can literally sit in the forest canopy…
This is a magical part of the world for fungi, lichens and mushrooms…
If you are looking for a quiet retreat or a great place for your family to explore…that isn’t too far from Cape Town, and around the corner from Swellendam where there are so many things to do, then this would be a great place to look at a little closer.
Click on the Image Below to See More Photographs
So wonderful you got away together, now the children are getting older you need to make it an annual thing 😉 x
Hay Erin, You are so right… it was a bit of an organizational nightmare, but we managed it once and we are working on it again!!! Hope you had a lovely weekend!!!
How amazing are those views!!! Wow wow wow I’m intrigued about all the beauty that surrounds us. God is indeed wonderful
Ps: I love love love the new blog layout!! And anything with purple is always a winner