Things to do

What there is to do, once the tea is done

Rooibos country is also a wilderness area, a world-class bouldering destination and one of the best places in South Africa to see San rock art. This page covers the public land, where the rules are published and we can tell you something true.

The wilderness area
Proclaimed
1973as a wilderness area
Size
66 811 haCapeNature also says “about 71 000”
Status
World Heritagepart of the Cape Floral Region
Extent
Middelberg to PakhuisCitrusdal to north of Clanwilliam
Permits
Requiredfrom CapeNature
I — Read this first

The rules that catch people out

Most pages about the Cederberg lead with the scenery. The genuinely useful information is the constraints, because several of them surprise people who have camped elsewhere in South Africa.

CapeNature’s conditions for the wilderness area
  • NoNo fires at all — including gas cookers. This is the one that catches people. Plan cold food, or check current conditions with CapeNature before you count on cooking.
  • NoNo pets, no firearms.
  • NoNo picking flowers or collecting seed. You are inside a World Heritage site.
  • —Waste and toilet paper are carried out or buried. There is no one to clear up after you.
  • 3A minimum of three adult hikers on wilderness trails. Four to twelve is the size CapeNature suggests. Solo walking is not permitted.
  • 50Maximum fifty people per wilderness block per day. Which is why a permit is a real constraint, not a formality.

CapeNature also warns plainly of “tough terrain, minimal infrastructure, scarce water points, and little to no cellphone reception”. Take that at face value. Tell somebody where you are going.

Permits, and why we quote no prices

Hiking permits are required. They can be bought at the reserve office or booked through CapeNature Central Reservations. We do not publish fees — they change, we have not verified them, and a stale price is worse than none. Go to CapeNature for the current position.

All of the above from CapeNature, Cederberg Wilderness Area — the provincial conservation authority, and the body that actually controls access.
II — On foot

The walks people come for

Durations below are CapeNature’s published figures. We have not walked these routes, so treat them as the authority’s estimate rather than a promise, and add time for photographs, heat and getting lost.

The Wolfberg Arch

The formation most people picture when they picture the Cederberg — a free-standing sandstone arch high on the mountain, reached via the Wolfberg Cracks, a narrow chimney-like passage through the rock.

About 8 hoursvia the Cracks

The Maltese Cross

A single free-standing rock pillar, and the shorter of the two signature walks. The most achievable of the big-name Cederberg objectives in a day.

About 5 hours

Middelberg Waterfall

A shorter walk from Algeria, and the sensible option if you have half a day rather than a whole one.

Shorterduration not published

Stadsaal Cave and Truitjieskraal

Weathered sandstone chambers and formations, reached with far less walking than the high routes — the option when the group has mixed appetites for effort.

Shortduration not published
Two hikers standing beneath the Wolfberg Arch, a natural sandstone arch in the Cederberg
The Wolfberg Arch, Cederberg. Photo: South African Tourism, CC BY 2.0
III — Older than the tea

San rock art

The Cederberg holds a great deal of San rock art, and the Sevilla Rock Art Trail near Clanwilliam is the best-known way to see it — a walk past a series of painted shelters.

It is worth saying why this sits on a rooibos site. The traditional knowledge of rooibos was found to lie with the San and the Khoikhoi, and since 2019 the industry has paid a levy in recognition of that. The paintings are not illustrations of that story — nobody has shown they depict rooibos, and we do not suggest they do. But they are the oldest human presence in this landscape, and walking past them changes how the rest of the region reads.

Rock art is fragile and irreplaceable. Do not touch the paintings, do not wet them to bring out the colour, and stay on the path.

Also here
  • Rocklands — described by CapeNature as “a world renowned bouldering site”, with sport and traditional climbing too
  • Mountain biking at Algeria — Rock Jumper, 3.3 km, easy; Honey Badger, 6.6 km, moderate
  • Dark skies — a well-known draw in the Cederberg, though we have not sourced a specific site to send you to
Two San rock-art figures painted in red ochre on pale sandstone
San rock art on the Sevilla Rock Art Trail, in the Cederberg. It is not known to depict rooibos and is not presented as doing so. Photo: Zaian, CC BY 4.0
IV — The gaps

What we cannot tell you yet

QuestionWhere it stands
Can I do a rooibos farm tour or tasting? Not answered here. Guided tours, tastings and 4x4 trips are businesses, and no business appears on this site until someone has confirmed what it offers and on what terms. Public conservation land is documented; commercial operators are not.Blocked on field research
What does a permit cost? We will not publish a fee we have not verified, and fees change. CapeNature is the authority.
Which trails are open right now? Conditions, fire risk and access change. This page is a description of what exists, not a live status board. Check before you drive.
Where exactly should I go for dark skies? The Cederberg's night sky is widely praised, but we have not sourced a specific public site with confirmed access, so we are not sending you anywhere in particular.
Reviewed 23 August 2026. Primary source throughout: CapeNature. How we source things.
Next
Plan a tripHow far it is, what road, and when to come. Which town suits youFour towns, four quite different trips. The plant and the placeWhy any of this grows here at all. Who makes rooibosThe processors, co-operatives and brands.