Wupperthal is a city in South Africa's Western Cape. Wupperthal is a pretty village near the stunning Cederberg mountain range, and the Cederberg Wilderness Nature Reserve. Wupperthal has enough attractions to keep you busy for one or two days.
Understand
The town is quite pretty and different from other smaller rural towns in South Africa. The town's rural location has prevented it from becoming too 'touristy' like other towns in the Western Cape near the coast like Paternoster and Franschoek. Most of the buildings are white and look like beautiful English cottages. Some of the villagers keep stunning little gardens. The church with its traditional bell is also worth a visit and is located in the centre of the central business district (if you can call it that- it is tiny!)
Get in
You can only enter this rural village by motor car. Cape Town is roughly 250 km (160 miles) away, i.e., a 3-hour motor car drive from the town.
Get around
The village is so small you can walk around on foot. It takes roughly ten minutes to walk from the one side of town to the other side.
See
- The Cederberg Wilderness Nature Reserve (part of the Cape Fynbos UNESCO World Heritage Sites) is a stunning day trip. Go see the Maltese cross (a massive stone shaped like a Maltese cross). The cross is only a two- to three-hour walk from the park's main road.
- The area is full of amazing stone structures like the famous 'Lot's wife' (a sandstone structure resembling the shape of a woman) and various arches that slightly resemble that of the Arches National Park in the USA.
- The beautiful Stadsaal caves are also in the area and various San or "Bushman" drawings. A particularly well-preserved San drawing of elephants, Shamans and hunters can be found near the Stadsaal structures in the Matjiesfontein Nature Reserve.
- Another site that would humour the tourist coming from the city is the village's petrol station - it consists of one pump in the middle of nowhere. The valley is full of cultivated little blocks of land that makes it look like a green quilt.
Do
Talk to the locals, many of them have been residing in the town for decades and can probably tell you amazing stories of collecting and producing tea, the changing landscape and etc. Hiking is a must for everyone visiting the area, especially in and around the Cederberg Wilderness Nature reserve.
Buy
The town has a shoe factory that sells traditional South African leather shoes (known in Afrikaans as 'velskoene'). A pair of 'Vellies' (traditional South African leather shoes) is a must and can cost you between R80 to R250.
The area is also famous as being probably one of the best rooibos (redbush) tea growing areas in the country. There is a shop in the village that sells various rooibos products and teas. A few packets of real organic rooibos tea is also an absolute must. Then there are various rooibos products like rooibos flavored soaps on sale in the shop.
Eat
Wupperthal has only one coffee shop/restaurant. If you want a culinary experience rather go to the Clanwilliam hotel on the other side of the mountain range or to one of the hundreds of world class restaurants in Cape Town. Almost everything is closed on Sundays.
Drink
Rooibos tea! Rooibos tea! Rooibos tea!
Sleep
There are a few camping terrains in the area. Many tourists recommend the Algeria camping grounds in the Cederberg Wilderness Nature reserve. The camping ground does provide electricity and the ablution facilities are clean and functional. It is a truly stunning camping area but relatively expensive for South African tourists.
Connect
Go next
The only way out is via the road on which you came into the town or hiking over the mountains. If you decide to hike make sure you have permission from the farmers through which lands you will hike and San parks. Also ensure that you carry enough water with you (more than 2 litres per day) and sunscreen.