Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon, a national reserve in South Africa, allows you to admire incredibly scenic views. Here you will encounter giant cliffs, deep gorges and high mountain peaks overgrown with grasses. The reserve stretches for 60 km and includes the territory of the Blyde River Canyon, which is about 30 km long.
General Information
The Three Rondavels Lookout offers an unforgettable sight: three giant rock spirals rising straight up from the bottom of Blyde Canyon. Resembling round, thatch-roofed African huts called rondavels, these rock formations are a stunning contrast to the winding blue ribbon of the river below.
Where the rivers Blyde, “the river of joy,” and Treur, “the river of sorrow,” meet, erosion and water have formed one of the most remarkable geologic phenomena in the world, called the Burki Gap.”
Named after a gold prospector, the surreal rock formations created here by the whirlpools of emerald-ore green water form a series of dark depressions that contrast quite picturesquely with the white and yellow rocks overgrown with lichens.
.The flora and fauna in the Blyde River Canyon are as diverse as the ecosystems. Mountain bighorn sheep are found here, hippos and crocodiles live near the Blyde River dam, and the abundant plain near the canyon neck is home to impala antelope, Kudu pronghorn antelope, zebra, water goats, and blue gnu.
.The descent from the National Reserve to Abel Erasmus Pass is one of the most beautiful roads in the country, so it should never be missed.
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