Wild flower season is nearly here! Each year the spring flowers cover the Western Cape and Northern Cape in a rainbow of colours. There are plenty of places to see the wild flowers close to Cape Town: see daisies in the West Coast National Park, canola fields in the Overberg region and blossoms in Babylonstoren. Read my Spring Flowers in Cape Town blog post for all these details. However, the real flower magic starts to happen as you drive further beyond into the Karoo and Namaqualand regions. If you’re looking for more than just a flower day trip and are keen for a weekend of flowers then a visit to the Biedouw Valley needs to be on your bucket list! A 3,5 hour drive from Cape Town, the Biedouw Valley is the perfect spot if you’re looking for a weekend away to rolling fields of wild flowers. If you’re looking for a full on Namaqualand Road Trip check out my Complete Guide to the Namaqualand Flowers.
Biedouw Valley
The Biedouw Valley is an area of farmland in the Cederberg region that is usually farmed for rooibos tea. In the spring months the farmers don’t turn the soil and let the fields grow wild, resulting in the most beautiful display of wild flowers in the fields. It has become a popular spot to see the spring flowers in the Western Cape. Read my guide on everything you need to know to plan your trip to see the spring flowers in the Biedouw Valley.
Getting there
The Biedouw Valley is located in the Rocklands area of the Cederberg conservancy. To get there you will drive along the N7, turn off to Clanwilliam, drive through Rocklands over the Pakhuis Pass and then turn right off the R364 to follow the gravel road that will take you into the heart of the Biedouw Valley. The drive is about 3,5 hours from Cape Town.
If you’re looking to hire a car for your Biedouw Valley weekend then check out DiscoverCars:
Finding the flowers
You will find the flowers in the heart of the Biedouw Valley. The Biedouw Valley turn off from the R364 Pakhuis pass is clearly indicated and you will begin seeing wild flowers from the start of this turn off all the way along the road until you get to the top of the valley. The road winds down into the Biedouw Valley which is a flat area of farmland surrounded by gorgeous mountains. Down in the valley the fields lining the road are covered in a sea of yellow and orange daisies. You could spend hours here just admiring these farmlands. If you continue along the road you will then see a left turn towards Enjo Nature Farm. If you continue along this road you will continue to see fields and fields of flowers. Driving along these roads and viewing the flowers is the attraction. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the drive and stopping along the way to admire the flowers. My best advice would be to put Enjo Nature Farm into Google Maps and drive towards there admiring the flowers as you go.
Where to stay?
Lucky for us flower-seekers the Biedouw Valley is right next door to climbing-mecca, Rocklands. This means that there is plenty of affordable accommodation in the area.
Budget: On our visit last year we were a group of 8 students and stayed in self-catering cottages at Traveller’s Rest. It was incredibly affordable, well-equipped, and close to the flowers. We were also able to get a booking at quite short notice! This spot is popular among climbers who come to boulder in the region. De Pakhuys is another affordable spot popular among climbers which is a short drive to the Valley.
Mid-range: Another gem close by is the AfriCamps at de Pakhuys which is perfect for families and also has hot tub options! I have heard wonderful things about Enjo Nature Farm. Situated right in the heart of the Biedouw Valley, they offer camping and self-catering options and have a flower field of their own. Unfortunately, they are very popular and are booked up quite far in advance.
Luxury: If you’re looking for some luxury then check out the Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Welness Retreat.
Browse Booking.com for countless accommodation options:
When to go?
Flower season is always a little fickle as it is entirely weather dependent, and we cannot predict the weather. Flower season generally starts earlier in the north compared to in Cape Town and so you can expect to see flowers from mid-August to early September. We went the first weekend of September last year (around 4 September) and we had juuust missed the best of it. The flowers were still good, but they had definitely been more prolific the week earlier. It’s always a catch 22 with these things as you need to book accommodation in advance, but you can never really be certain of how the flowers will be until just before you go.
How long to go for?
2 nights is the perfect amount of time for your trip to the Biedouw Valley. We actually just did one night last year, driving up on the Saturday morning and driving straight to the flowers. We spent the whole day in the flowers before driving to our accommodation and checking in. We stayed the night and then drove home the next day. While it was enough time in the flowers, it felt like a lot of driving. You’ll be able to explore at a much better pace and be able to have a relaxed weekend away if you do 2 nights. I’d recommend driving up on the Friday after work, having a relaxed evening at your accommodation and then setting off to see the flowers on the Saturday around mid-morning. You can spend the day checking out the flowers before coming back to your accommodation for a lovely, relaxed evening and then driving home the next day.
I recently did a week long roadtrip exploring flower hotspots along the West Coast, Niewoudtville, Namaqua National Park and the Biedouw Valley. So while the Biedouw Valley can be done as a weekend trip it could also make up part of a bigger flower trip. Read my Complete Guide to Seeing the Flowers in Namaqualand here.
