The West Coast and Namakwaland is famous for their spring flowers while a number of reserves in the southern Cape, one of these being the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as it is where the Cape Floral Kingdom occurs. Living in Port Elizabeth it's not always possible to do the trek west to go and view flowers but a few weeks ago I realized that it's not necessary.
About 40 kilometers west of Port Elizabeth is the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve, a 500 hectare open space next to the Van Stadens River gorge. The reserve covers the gorge's southern wooded slopes, a large plateau to the east and the northern river banks, each with its own vegetation types. The reserve is covered in various hiking trails ranging from a short 500 meter trail to longer ones up to 11 kilometers. Some of the trails are also suitable for mountain bikers while there are also gravel roads accessible to cars in the plateau section. The flowers, especially the flowering proteas, in the reserve is stunning at the moment. Enjoy the display.
More information about the reserve can be found on their listing with Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism or with the Friends of Van Stadens.
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