Fort Beaufort, Amatola

Lying in the heart of the citrus farming Katriver Valley, Fort Beaufort is a little historical town that dates back to 1822, when a frontier post was established here by the British, who occupied the town until 1870 during a period of struggle for possession between colonists, supported by the British, and the Xhosa.

The Katriver valley is filled with rivers, forests, waterfalls and deep ravines that invite hiking and languid walks through wide open spaces. Fort Beaufort rests on the banks of the Kat River, surrounded by the majestic Katberg and Amatola mountain ranges, close to its neighbours - Hogsback, Grahamstown and East London. Fort Beaufort boasts a number of historical sites worth visiting, including the Martello tower, today a national monument, on which sits a mounted cannon that pivots through 360° and is considered one of two in the world - the other is in Canada.

Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve, just 25 kilometres from Fort Beaufort, between the town and Adelaide - has as its main purpose the conservation and protection of the scarce Dohne sourveld, the surrounding Afro-montane forests and the biodiversity of the area. It is a wonderful place to visit if you’re even vaguely a horse lover or rider. All of your nature and game viewing can be done on horseback, including guided tuition from some very knowledgeable horse handlers, so if you weren’t a horse rider before, you will certainly know more about horses once you leave. The reserve is also a wonderful base for hiking and bass fishing is very popular.