River View Cottages

The River View Cottages overlook a sweeping bend in the Gamka River. The 3 cottages are situated in the Matjiesvlei valley on The River Farm in the heart of 3 World Biodiversity Hotspots near Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo. Each cottage is self-catering and self-contained.

Come and enjoy walking amongst the Karoo Koppies, swimming and fishing in the river, the wildlife and livestock of The River Farm and the view from your stoep of the river and the expansive Swartberg Mountain Range. At the end of the day, watch the sunset and the stars appear as you braai in the boma.

The River View Cottages are situated in the heart of a World Biodiversity Hotspot. This means that they are situated in one of the most biologically rich and most endangered areas on earth. There are 35 such areas in the world and three of them Succulent Karoo, Fynbos and Subtropical Thicket intersect in this area.

Accommodation at River View Cottages:
The River View Cottages are three self-catering, free-standing cottages. Each is unique and accommodates a couple.

The bedroom has a double bed and an en-suite bathroom with a shower. Bed Linen and bath towels are provided. The living room contains a comfortable lounge area, dinning table and a fully equipped kitchen, with spring water on tap.

All you need bring is food.

Each cottage has an indoor fireplace and an outdoor braai. There is also a central boma to braai at, especially if you come with friends occupying other cottages.

Experience River View Cottages:
Walk/Hike
You can take leisurely walks on the farm roads, along the rivers edge and to explore the Karoo Koppies. If you feel inclined towards more exertion, there are a variety of challenging hikes which take you into the pristine wilderness of the area.

One such challenging hike is the Poort Hike, up the Gamka River through the Poort (the gorge between the Klein and Groot Swartberg Mountains) into Gamkaskloof (known by weary travelers as Die Hel). The Poort Hike requires some preparation and is best undertaken with a guide or at least GPS route co-ordinates.

Swim
You can swim in the farm dam fed by fresh mountain water. You can also swim or canoe in the Gamka River.

Fish
The Yellowfish in the Gamka River provide many passionate fisherman with their favourite fly-fishing. There are also Black Bass, Mogga and Eel for those who prefer stationary fishing.

Wildlife
The area is a bird watchers paradise with over 118 different species spotted. The region also boasts the highest concentration of Pale Chanting Goshawk in the Southern Hemisphere. High over the Swartberg the Black Eagle can be spotted gliding in search of prey.

Fish Eagle, Grey Heron, Hamerkop, Cormorant and various Kingfishers as well as smaller birds like Weavers, Bee-Eaters and Swallows can be spotted.

The local Leopard are monitored by the Leopard Trust, which amongst other objectives is working to have the Cape Leopard declared a separate species.

For those who examine wildlife from a more micro viewpoint, the area boasts a particularly high concentration of butterflies and some rare ant-lions and dragonflies.

Flora
Also for those who appreciate the micro level, a wide variety of Succulents abound in the area. Succulent enthusiasts come from far and wide to observe the tiny, the small and also the larger succulents of the area.

The veld, even when dry, is perpetually green, because of the abundance of Spekbos, and Guarrie. During autumn the Aloe Ferrox flowers dominate. Spring is ushered in by a diverse array of flowering veld bulbs.

4x4
The area offers a 4x4 route which takes you to one of the highest koppies , Bojaanskop, which provides a 360 panoramic view including the Swartberg and Rooiberg mountain ranges.

Mountain biking
The farm and veld roads provide both leisurely and challenging mountain biking.

Braai
You can sit and braai in the boma or at your own braai area.

Read
You can dip into the little library in your cottage.