VIOOLSDRIFT Attractions

Northern Cape Destinations

Vioolsdrift, Namakwa

Springbok might be regarded as the last major town en route to Namibia from Cape Town but the little town of Vioolsdrift serves as a border post that lies virtually on the border with Namibia, on the south bank of the Orange River.

Legend has it that before the construction of the bridge that now connects South Africa to Namibia, a lone Nama, with the nickname of Jan Viool, was responsible for navigating travellers across the Orange River where the river is at its shallowest, also known as a ‘drift’. It’s not hard to see from whence the name Vioolsdrift thus emerged. Vioolsdrift is largely an agricultural community and lucerne and vegetables serve as the major crops of the area. The little town also serves as a gateway into the Richtersveld area - a harsh and unpredictable climate where rugged kloofs, sweeping landscapes and towering mountains form an area of mountain desert as it sweeps away from the Orange River. The Richtersveld National Park is managed jointly by SA national parks and the local Nama people and provides some of the most vivid photographic scenery imaginable.

Dominating the landscape are succulents known as half-man or Pachypodium namaquensis that stand looking for all the world like tall people with spectacularly pathetic looking hats, when it comes to keeping the sun off ones face. Giant quiver trees, rare plants found only in one small area of the Richtersveld, are also found here.

Namibia and South Africa are in the process of considering a major dam at Vioolsdrift as a joint venture between the two countries.

Featured Attractions in (or near) Vioolsdrift

Goegap Nature Reserve

The Goegap Nature Reserve with its granite peaks and sandy plains are dominated by Carolusberg, the highest point in the area. Goegap's wild flower garden contains an enormous collection of succulents endemic to the area. A visit to the Goegap Nature Reserve will make a lasting impression with the ... more information

Namaqua National Park

Say Namaqua National Park and people immediately think carpets of spring wild flowers. And they would not be wrong - Namaqualand not only has some of the richest bulb flora of any arid region in the world, but more than a 1 000 of its approximate 3 500 plant species are not found... more information

Namaqualand Flower Route

The spring wild flowers are a phenomenon that never ceases to amaze and delight, even for those who live in what is considered South Africa's "outback" – Namaqualand. What at first glance appears to be a wilderness of semi-desert, is suddenly transformed, as if by a painter with a manic palette, into a pageant ... more information

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

Recently inscribed as the eighth World Heritage Site in South Africa, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a remarkable mountainous desert in the north-west of the country that is uniquely owned and managed by the Nama community, descendents of the Khoi-Khoi people. The Richtersveld Cultural and ... more information

Richtersveld National Park

The Richtersveld is a unique mountain desert wilderness of great beauty, tucked in the far north-western corner of the Northern Cape in South Africa. Within this wilderness lies the incredible Richtersveld National Park. Proclaimed in 1991 after 18 years of negotiation between the National Park Board and the local ... more information

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Things To Do in Vioolsdrift

Rafting Trips on the Orange River

Where: Vioolsdrift
How much (per person): R101 to R200

This unique tours starts from Aquacade at Vioolsdrift on the banks of the Orange River. The 2-man inflatable rafts are easy to control and a ... more information

On Holiday in Vioolsdrift

• Vioolsdrift Accommodation
• Vioolsdrift Self Catering
• Namakwa Attractions
• Namaqualand Flower Tours

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Vioolsdrift

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