The Olifants and Jan Dissels rivers embrace the town, which lies against a backdrop of the mighty Cederberg mountain range. A good rainfall turns the desert into a flower paradise. While the inhabitants long for shade, the plants flourish, including a wealth of Mediterranean and subtropical trees, flowers, fruit and nuts.

Clanwilliam remained undiscovered until the N7 from Cape Town to Namibia was built in the sixties. Now busloads of tourists, on their way north, stop to visit. Word spread and others started arriving and returning, attracted by a magical lure of this special lifestyle.

Clanwilliam, heart of the Rooibos tea area, is one of the ten oldest towns in the country. Rich in cultural and historical heritage and with breathtaking natural beauty, it offers modern recreational facilities and is the centre of a flourishing agricultural community. It is also the only place in the world where Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) can be cultivated. Rooibos is processed, packed and marketed worldwide from the factory in Clanwilliam.

Each year during August and September, depending on the preceding winter's rainfall, the area is transformed into a floral showcase. The area features a large variety of wild flowers. Ramskop Nature Reserve at the Clanwilliam Dam Resort boasts 350 indigenous species of wild flowers.

The greater part of Clanwilliam falls within the world renowned Fynbos Biome. Various endangered endemic fynbos species can be found in the area. The most notable of these are the Clanwilliam Cedar and the snow protea which grow exclusively in isolated sites in the Cederberg Wilderness Area. Buchu is a sought after medicinal herb which grows in the mountains around Clanwilliam.

At the end of winter, the Flower Church becomes a hive of activity. Volunteers happily create a manmade landscape inside the church; a kaleidoscope from nature made accessible to everybody. About 450 species are exhibited by the Clanwilliam Wildflower Society, which is a fitting complement to the dignified architecture of the church. The pulpit has been quiet for many years, but the flowers offer a song of praise heavenwards.

Archeologists and paleontologists are becoming increasingly fascinated by the well preserved fossils, recently discovered by researchers working in the Cederberg mountains. In the town and district are several attractive historical buildings, a wealth of rock art and a profusion of birds.

Places to stay
- Cedar Rock Resort
- Rondegat
- Ndedema Lodge
- The longhouse guest house
- Clanwilliam Hotel
- Saint du Barrys B&B
- Clanwilliam Lodge
- Blommenberg Guest House
- Letsatsi Lodge
- Clanwilliam Dam Resort
- Clanwilliam caravan/camping

Things to see and do

- The Rooibos Route:
Heading North: Start your trip in Clanwilliam with a teatasting at the Rooibosteahouse (pick 7 of the 100+ flavours), enjoy lunch at Nancy's Tearoom (with rooibos cheesecake for pudding) and then drive towards Klawer Wine Cellar for a Rooibos African Ruby Vermouth (buy enough for presents). End your trip at Letsatsi Lodge with supper at the Red Ox Steakhouse.
For other routes - visit their website for an interactive map! http://rooibos-route.co.za/rooibos-route.php

- Net Mar Shop:
Visit the Net Mar shop on Voortrekker street! They sell Rooibos and treats, offer framing services and arts & Crafts

-Soldaatkop:
Soldaatkop is a rock formation on a back road of the R364. The formation can only be seen when travelling back towards Clanwilliam. One is recommended to first visit the grave of C.L. Leipoldt and on the return journey to Clanwilliam, about 1,5 km from the grave take the gravel road on the left, this road is not suitable for normal cars, leave it at the beginning of the gravel road and continue by foot, walk for a few minutes, the monument is marked with a sign on the left hand side of the road.

-Cederberg Wine Cellars:
South Africa’s most uniquely situated wine farm falls within the pristine environs of the Cederberg Wilderness Area, which lies in the Cape Floral Kingdom. Here, among spectacular rock formations and fynbos, you will find the highest altitude vineyards in the Cape. Conservation is fundamental and Cederberg Private Cellar is a committed member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative.
www.cederbergwine.com
+27 27 482 282

-Skimmelberg Buchu and Rooibos Tours:
To see the real magic of what makes our organic buchu and rooibos product range so special, you have to visit the farm.
A trip to Skimmelberg is a journey into organic farming at its best. Skimmelberg's farming operations take place on the doorstep of the Skimmelberg Nature Reserve. Visitors to the farm will get to see these two plants as they occur naturally in the wild, as well as how rooibos and buchu are being farmed organically sustainble.

They will also be able able to see how Skimmelberg produces its trademark red and green rooibos teas - a process that starts in Skimmelberg's special rooibos seedling beds as well as the nursery for the buchu seedlings.
Visitors will also get to see the farm's large scale distillery where Skimmelberg produces its high-quality buchu oil.

One of the key features in Skimmelberg's organic success is the farm's wormery, another highlight for visiting rooibos enthusiasts. Providing organic fertiliser for the cultivated rooibos and buchu plants is essential, and Skimmelberg has mastered using worm tea to give their plants the boost they need.

Once the tour has ended, you can join Ria and Jannie Slabbert at their office for a tea tasting. Enjoy exploring the smells, tastes and sensations, before delving into the pioneering world of buchu based products. If anything grabs your fancy, browse the Skimmelberg shop, stocked with the farm's full range of products.

Tea Tasting and Buchu Distillery: R55/person
Complete 2 hour Tour: R175/person
Special rate for groups more than 4 persons.

-Cederberg Brewery:
Cederberg Brewery, a microbrewery based at Cederberg Private Cellar on Dwarsrivier Farm in the heart of the pristine and unpolluted Cederberg Conservation Area.
Combining European inspiration with South African innovation, we set out with a simple goal: to brew the beers we wanted to drink.
We started small, with a homebrew system, a love for craft beer, plenty of passion and determination. The result? Hand crafted natural beer, made with the purest ingredients. Beers that can stand on taste alone.

No tastings are done on the farm. Beers are available at Clanwilliam Spar Tops or on the farm.

-Leipoldt's Grave:
17 km outside Clanwilliam on the way to Wupperthal the road passes by the grave of C.L. Leipoldt, well-known pediatrician, botanist, cook and above all, poet...The scenery en-route is exceptional for its rock formations, "Soldaatkop" being one near the grave.

- Sevilla Rock Art Trail:
The 5 km trail winds along the Brannewyn River and visits 9 sites of rock art paintings, left behind by the San people, who inhabited the area for thousands of years. The Sevilla Rock Art Trail offers some of the finest examples of rock art in the district and a fascinating glimpse into the world of these early inhabitants.

The trail is relitavly easy walking, the atmosphere is inspiring and in spring the wild flowers are an added bonus. Over and above Springbok and Eland, small game, dassies and babboons may be encountered on the walk and a fascinating array of indigenous plant species and birds can be observed.

A free pamphlet with information about each of the nine sites is available from Travellers Rest Farm stall. A more detailed book about the trail written by Peter Slingsby is available at the farm stall @R85.00.
www.travellersrest.co.za

- Ou Tronk Museum:
The Clanwilliam museum is housed in the Old Gaol situated at the end of the Main Road. It's open on weekdays from 8:00 till 12:30 and on Saturday's from 9:00 till 12:00. The museum holds the history of this 7th eldest town in South Africa. With rooms dedicated to famous inhabitants of Clanwilliam, such as the early khoi and san but also poet, C. L. Leipoldt and famous comedian Tolla van der Merwe.

- Ramskop Nature Garden:
Ramskop Nature Garden is host to a vast number of indigenous species of flowers and is a real sight during flower season, usually from the middle of August till the middle of September. The garden offers a few walking possibilities, one of them leading up the Clanwilliam Dam Wall. There are several spots that will give you some great views of the mountains, the town itself (including the rooibos laying yards of Rooibos Limited) and of course the Clanwilliam Dam.

- Stadsaal Caves & Truitjieskraal:
Stadsaal Caves and Bushmen paintings as well as Truitjieskraal are found high in the central Cederberg beyond Cederberg Cellars & Sanddrif. They are a ‘must’ for all Cederberg visitors and keen photographers could spend hours here capturing the play of light and shadows on the open caves and rock formations. Nearby there are some Bushmen rock paintings from an ancient time when elephants roamed freely through the Cederberg.

You will need to buy a permit, obtainable from Algeria Forest Station, Dwarsrivier farm, Cederberg Oasis or Mount Ceder. If travelling from Clanwilliam or Citrusdal, take the day and stop to visit Algeria Forest Station, the Cederberg Cellars and perhaps enjoy a hike or swim in the river at Algeria…

How to get there – Take the central Cederberg road (approx 30km past Citrusdal) and travel past Algeria Forest Station over Uitkyk pass and onto Dwarsriver farm/Cederberg Cellars where you buy a permit. Continue on the road for 8km until you reach the Nature Conservation sign and sign right.

- Elandsberg Eco Tourism:
For those who want to learn more about Rooibos and Fynbos, safari tours are on offer. One tour concentrates on Rooibos. Guests are taken to one of the plantations where the all aspects of the plant and its cultivation are explained. They then go to the processing plant to experience the processing from raw material to the final product.

The other tour focuses in an informal way on fynbos - how plants cope with the very hot, dry summer conditions, what they do to attract pollinators, how they protect themselves against insect pests, etc. We also visit one of the beautiful rock formations where we explain how they were formed and the part they play in the ecology of the Cape floristic kingdom. The plant kingdom is one of the richest and most varied plant biomes in the world.
www.elandsberg.co.za

- Cederberg Wilderness Area:
The majestic Cederberg is a 100km long mountain range known for its characteristic jagged sandstone, richly coloured by iron oxides to a deep orange, as well as its curious rock formations and Bushmen (san) rock art.

Most of the Cederberg is a designated Wilderness Area (83,000ha) and is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom which is a World Heritage Site. The Cederberg Wilderness is surrounded by conservancies - land owned by farmers but conserved in its natural state - such as the Cederberg conservancy, the Pakhuis conservancy and Nardouwsberg conservancy, so that the whole Cederberg wilderness area is closer to 170,000ha. Thus the Cederberg mountains remain one of the most undisturbed areas in South Africa.

The central & southern Cederberg Wilderness offers spectacular rock formations such as the Maltese Cross, the Stadsaal caves and Lot's Wife as well as bushmen rock art. The rivers provide great picnic spots with waterfalls and deep rock pools for swimming (for example at Algeria Forest Station and Maalgat near Sandrif). Classic mountain hikes here include the Maltese Cross, the Wolfberg Cracks & Arch, Middleburg and Sneeuberg.

The northern Cederberg Wilderness offers the equally rewarding mountain hikes to Krakadouw and Boontjieskloof as well as donkey cart excursions to pretty unspoilt mission villages, riverside picnic spots and of course world-class rockclimbing and bouldering at Rocklands near the Pakhuis Pass.

Indigenous wildlife in the Cederberg Wilderness includes klipspingers, grey rhebok, duiker and rock dassies which are all regularly seen. Porcupine, honeybadger, Cape clawless otter and even aardvark also occur though they are rarely seen. The elusive Cape Mountain leopard is fairly common but very shy. Smaller predators include the African wild cat, bat-eared fox and Cape fox.

Information about Rooibos

The Cederberg mountains with their craggy peaks and clean air provide the perfect environment for the unique health-enhancing Rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis). The Cederberg is the only place on earth where Rooibos is found. Rooibos is refreshing and soothing, and it has many health-giving properties. It contains powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals. The minerals in Rooibos also enhance the nutritional value of food and drinks. Rooibos is indeed the magic ingredient that will turn an ordinary recipe into an extraordinary one. Visit the Rooibos Ltd company in Clanwilliam, or Elandsberg Eco-reserve to see how Rooibos is produced. Try a refreshing cup of Rooibos, as well as buy many other Rooibos-inspired products.

The valleys of the Cederberg are also used extensively for citrus farming with harvesting from April to August, as well as table and wine grapes which are harvested from December to February.

Why Rooibos is good for you - Rooibos is 100% pure and natural. What’s more, it is also rich in powerful antioxidants and minerals. A scientific study conducted at the Oxidative Stress Research Centre at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town recently, proved that Rooibos can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and protects the body against oxidative damage. The trial also showed that Rooibos is safe for the liver and kidneys, and helps to keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in a normal range.

More good news: Rooibos reduces the effects of allergies, and relieves stomach cramps and colic in infants. It has a soothing effect on the central nervous system and helps to relieve headaches, irritability, tension and disturbed sleeping patterns. And best of all, it contains no additives, preservatives, colourants, kilojoules or caffeine.

How is Rooibos tea produced - The indigenous Rooibos plant grows in the rugged Cederberg Mountains. The thin, needle-like leaves of about 10 mm in length are green at first when they are harvested in summer, but turn a beautiful dark red during fermentation. In traditional Rooibos the green leaves and stems of the plant are bruised and “fermented” overnight before being spread open to dry in the African sun.

The fermentation step is actually an oxidation process brought about by enzymes naturally present in the plant. To produce green Rooibos, the fermentation process is skipped, and the leaves and stems are dried directly. Next, the Rooibos is screened, pasteurised, bagged and then distributed to tea packers and exporters worldwide.