Go Back to Map – Experience the Valley
Baviaanskloof
The Baviaanskloof (Valley of Baboons) is literally a kloof nestled between the Baviaans Mountain Range to the north and the Kouga Mountain Range to the south, along which a road crosses a series of at least 100 low water crossings. The 192 000 hectare conservation area is home to an incredible diversity of habitats and species, incorporating seven biomes and is a World Heritage Site.
The Baviaanskloof was originally home to San hunter-gatherers (“Bushmen”) and in the early 18th century European hunters and later settlers gradually developed a more permanent lifestyle based on agriculture.
The area was once important for the cultivation of vegetable seed stock (onion, carrot, beetroot and pumpkin) as the mountainous isolation prevented contamination of the stock, as well as farming with angora goats.
An amazing diversity of habitat types and species is found in the Baviaanskloof – from forest yellowwoods to karoo bossies, thicket spekboom and fynbos proteas.