Patensie lies almost at the mouth of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness area - it’s the last stop before entering the wilderness.
Mainly a citrus producing community, the name Patensie is a corruption of the Hottentot expression ‘lêplek van die beeste’ or ‘where the cattle lie’ and, because of its easy access to Baviaanskloof and nearby game farms, the area is becoming particularly popular with visitors.
Only 25 km away lies the Kouga Dam, the lifeblood of the valley, which irrigates most of the farmland in the area. Initially called the Paul Sauer Dam, it also supplies Port Elizabeth with most of its water.
- Visit the Kouga dam
- View a bust of Queen Victoria in the conglomerate cliffs along the Gamtoos River (you can only see it from the west, so you need to stop and look back)
- Stop at the quaint little home industries tea room of Tolbos