Spectacular Landscapes
Western Cape, South Africa
The Cederberg Wilderness Area lies some 200 km north of Cape Town. This vast area stretches from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam, encompassing some 71,000 ha. of rugged, mountainous terrain. The Cederberg was proclaimed a wilderness area in 1973, and as such enjoys the highest possible conservation status. The Cederberg is blessed with spectacular landscapes and rock formations, as well as its namesake, the increasingly rare Clanwilliam cedar tree.
Background
The San and Khoi peoples inhabited the Cederberg area from early times, leaving behind a rich legacy of rock art. Southern African rock art has been dated to be as old as 28,000 years, with the age of the Cederberg paintings ranging from 8,000 years to 100 or 200 years. The paintings most commonly record animal scenes, and it is thought that particular animals, such as eland, have important symbolic religious meanings.