Cederberg Brewery

Our brewery is run by a small and passionate team. Current brewmaster Thinus Botha operates with a deep respect for the ingredients + process. Gerrit Smit (also better known as Gert Koevert) heads up the business side of things – and he’s not scared “om ‘n paar kilometers te skuif nie” (he drives quite a bit).

From Vioolsdrift to America – Cederberg Brewery is committed to bringing you hand-crafted natural beer made with the purest ingredients.

Cederberg Wines

Welcome to the Cederberg Private Cellar. Here, on the farm Dwarsrivier, our winemaker David Nieuwoudt leads a ‘team with attitude’ to produce award-winning wines from our high-altitude vineyards. The secret behind our ‘wines with altitude’? A unique terroir, a pure virus-free environment, water from mountain springs, a unique cold climate without coastal influences and five generations’ understanding of the land.

Cederberg Wilderness Area

The Cederberg Wilderness Area lies some 200km north of Cape Town, stretching from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam and encompassing some 71 000ha of rugged, mountainous terrain.

The Cederberg was proclaimed a wilderness area in 1973 and has grown into a popular destination for hardy hikers and mountaineers. The Cederberg is renowned for its spectacular landscapes and rock formations, as well as its namesake, the increasingly rare Clanwilliam cedar tree.

Geologically, the Cederberg is part of the Cape Fold Belt and consists mainly of Table Mountain sandstone. Weathered sandstone formations, most notably the Wolfberg Arch and the Maltese Cross, are typical of the Cederberg. These mountains fall within the catchment area of the Cape fynbos region and are managed as a source of water.

Eselbank Pass & Waterfall

Hike or drive the beautiful Eselbank Pass. It is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 978m (3,208ft) above the sea level located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This route is not recommended for normal cars.

Set high in the Cederberg Mountains, within the Cederberg Wilderness Area, the road to the summit is mostly unpaved. A few sections have been concreted due its steepness. It has an average gradient of 1:21 but the steep sections get up to 1:5. Things can get a bit rough on this road, so a 4×4 vehicle is required. It’s more of a track at times and especially so in bad weather. Parts of the ascent are very narrow, requiring passing vehicles to ‘make a plan’.

Wolfberg Cracks & Arch

With towering rock formations delicately balancing in a way that seems supernatural, hiking in the Cederberg is something else. You won’t find anything like it elsewhere in South Africa, which is what makes it so special.

And its crowning glory? The Wolfberg Cracks day hike to the iconic Wolfberg Arch.

The scenery shows off the best the Cederberg has to offer, and camping here for a night or two is the cherry on top.

Luna & Apollo Peak

The top of Luna peak is like something from a sci-fi movie. When you are almost at the top it becomes very quiet. Then there’s weird sandy tunnels and caves to explore which is totally different from going a bit further and reaching the top of Apollo which has crazy weird rock formations. It’s out of this world. Also don’t try to do it when it’s snowing as water runs down the path which will freeze and it will be too slippery to go up or down. Permits available at Kromriver Cedarberg park.

Lot’s Wife & Window Rocks

About 1.6 km from the Cederberg Private Cellars’ office towards Algeria you will find a parking area and a sign for Lot’s wife. Get a permit from the Dwarsrivier Farm or Algeria Forest Station. Park in the Stadsaal Cave car park and take the trail marked “Lot’s wife”. The trail to Lots Wife and Window Rocks is easy to manage and well signposted. It takes between one and 1.5 hours to complete, making it short enough for a morning outing before lunch.

Maalgat Rock Pool

Permits: R30 (adult), R15 (under 14) from Sanddrif | Distance: 2km | Difficulty: easy walk along a clear path

Simply follow the path which heads downstream along the riverbank of the Dwars River: it’s an easy 15 to 20-minute walk in a downstream direction with the river never more than 50m away on your right. After 120m you will see a stone wall on your left — the path passing through it leads to the pool along a path that runs slightly higher up the bank.

The pool itself is massive and extremely deep (I don’t know of anyone who has reached the bottom), and possibly the main attraction is the opportunity to jump off the cliffs into the water. It gets pretty hot in the Cederberg, and there is no shade at the pool.

Maltese Cross

In order to walk to the Maltese Cross in the Cederberg you will need to collect a permit which you can do at the Dwarsdrivier Farm, alternatively from the Algeria Forest Station. From there you can follow the map to the start of the walk (a drive of approximately 8km from Dwarsrivier).

This is a great walk thanks to the well marked path that should take you between 3.5 and 4 hours, depending on your fitness level. The walk starts out relatively flat and then starts a moderate incline right to the cross, if you’re walking with younger children you may find them a little unhappy on the route upwards (remembering this from doing the walk at only 5 years old). The climb is however well worth it, not only for the end goal of reaching the 5 storey high cross but also for the unparalleled views of the Cederberg mountain range.

The walk back is an easy downhill and you’ll find a few lovely spots to stop and enjoy a sandwich and refreshments at. The route is 7km in total and is highly recommended should you be in the area.

Middelberg Pass

The Middelberg Pass is a real classic offering exquisite views and rugged, mountainous terrain on a mix of gravel and tar with hairpin pins and some very steep drop-offs. It traverses the Middelberg mountain range between the Koue Bokkeveld and Citrusdal. It is suitable for all vehicles and together with the Buffelshoek pass which precedes it from the south and the Elandskloof Pass which follows it in the north, this trio of passes is virtually one long pass.

On the flatter plateau areas there are farms peppered with citrus orchards and rooibos plantations, with blue dams with crystal clear, high quality water. The pass has a stiff average gradient of 1:14 with some sections (which are tarred) as steep as 1:5. This is a fairly modern pass having been constructed some 50 years ago.

Be aware that the maintenance of this road is not great, which means the gravel sections can be rough, rutted and corrugated. We recommend tyre deflation for improved traction with the added benefit of providing a softer ride. Take the pressures down to at least 20% of normal.

Nieuw Brew

The Nieuwoudt Family Presents, NIEUW BREW, Cederberg based craft brewery. Previously known as Ceder Brew.

We are the first microbrewery based in the Cederberg. The farm Kromrivier, located in the heart of the Cederberg, has been home to the Nieuwoudts for 7 generations. The current family thought it a good time to start brewing beer!
Made from malt, top quality hops, yeast and exceptional Cederberg water or ‘soetwater’ – as the Namaqualanders call it.

We are proud to present to you our passion for beer!

Stadsaal Grotte & Rock Art

Located in the Matjiesriver Nature Reserve, 45km up the road from Algeria camp in the Cederberg Wilderness, the Stadsaal Cave is a unique and special part of South African history.

Just a few hundred feet from the Elephant Paintings rock art site is another landmark, though this one has more recent ties to South African history. Called Stadsaal (Afrikaans for City Hall), this cavernous dome has been carved out of the rock by thousands of years of wind erosion and other weather factors.

Besides the main cavern area, there are many smaller openings and unique formations to be witnessed, all of which are accessible thanks to a trail that goes around the entire rock formation, starting and ending at the parking area. It takes about 30 minutes to walk around at a leisurely pace, though you might find yourself taking much longer to absorb and appreciate the wonder of these unique rock formations.

Truitjieskraal

This part of Matjiesrivier has arguably the most impressive Sandstone formations and is highly recommended by rock climbers practicing their sport and love for the area.

Follow the path through Truitjieskraal and read the information boards along the way while immersing yourself in stories of great history depicting the lives of the Khoi and San who used to live in the area many years ago.