Clanwilliam

Clanwilliam is a small farming town in the Olifants River valley, squeezed between the river, which is dammed right beside it, and the sandstone wall of the Cederberg. It dates from the early 1800s and took its name from an Irish earl, the father-in-law of a Cape governor. This is rooibos country: a local doctor started cultivating the plant here in 1930, and it is still the crop the district is known for. People stop for the flowers in late winter and spring, the rock art and the mountains.

Getting there

The town is roughly 200 km north of Cape Town as the crow flies, nearer 230 km by road, just off the N7. The N7 runs along the western side of the Cederberg, and from Clanwilliam the R364, the Wupperthal road, heads east over the Pakhuis Pass into the mountains. Bulshoek Dam, another irrigation dam, is about 24 km further north on the N7.

When to go

August and September are the months to aim for if you want flowers; Clanwilliam Tourism singles them out for the Ramskop Nature Garden by the dam. Summers in the Cederberg are hot and dry, and in winter the high peaks occasionally get snow, so pack for both if you plan to hike. The angling club runs its Bass Classic on the dam each October.

What to do

Ramskop is an easy start: a garden of indigenous flowers reached from the chalets at the Clanwilliam Dam resort. Water skiers rate the dam highly (the tourism office claims it is the province’s favourite for the sport), and you can stay in a chalet or camp beside it.

The best half day out is the Seville Rock Art Trail on Traveller’s Rest farm, 34 km out along the R364. It is a 5 km walk beside the Brandewyn River, stopping at nine rock painting sites, and part of it crosses a game camp with eland, springbok and red hartebeest. Buy your permit at the farm stall first. Leave the dog at home, because the game camp rules out pets.

Further in, the Cederberg stretches roughly 50 km from north to south, topped by Sneeuberg at 2,026 m. Its sandstone has weathered into formations such as the Wolfberg Arch and the Maltese Cross, and the range shelters the endangered Clanwilliam cedar.

Good to know

This is a small place of about 7,700 people, and Afrikaans is the main language. The Clanwilliam Arts Festival has run every year since 2001.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikipedia (Cederberg), Clanwilliam Tourism, Clanwilliam Tourism (dams), Traveller's Rest (Seville Rock Art Trail).