MAMRE Attractions

Western Cape Destinations

Mamre, Cape West Coast

The Church in Mamre

The 'great tree of Mamre' is where Abraham is said to have pitched his tent. Whilst he never owned the land on which his tent rested, he did later buy a piece of land very close to it where he buried his wife, Sarah. And indeed, it is Abraham's final resting ground too – the only land in Israel Abraham ever owned. A place in which he found rest, perhaps.

Whether or not this story or reference has anything to do with the town of Mamre, which lies between Darling and Atlantis on the R307, about an hour outside of Cape Town via the R27 or N7, is debatable. It is, however, the site of a Moravian mission station, established by two Moravian missionaries known as Kohrhammer and Schmidt, in 1808.

It was only in 1967 that the pretty double-ended church and adjacent parsonage became national monuments. The mission station village still stands, the church still used for services, and the church on any given Sunday is packed to capacity. In the village there is a former bakery, a shop, the church offices, a couple of more modern buildings, and a little lower down, the former mill next to what would have been a stream but today is a trickle. There are also a few 'hartbeeshuisies' or reed houses, all of them white-washed with thatched roofs. The streets, aside from Main Road which brings you into the village, are sand and you can wander around the village at will.

Mamre is one of nine mission stations which later grew into towns and villages on the West Coast. Others are Wupperthal, Rietpoort, Papendorp-Ebenhaezer, Vanrhynsdorp, Wittewater, Goedverwacht, Elandskloof and Vergenoeg.

Follow a visit of Mamre with a drive through to the gorgeous town of Darling, where you can stop for lunch, visit numerous gardens, peruse Evita's se Perron, and sample wines on a series of wine farms.

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Featured Attractions in (or near) Mamre

Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve

Stretching all the way from Diep River in Milnerton, to the Berg River close to Velddrif on the West Coast, the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve (CWCBR) was designated as such by UNESCO in 2000. The beautiful area of the Cape Floristic Region is deemed worthy of protecting internationally, particularly as ... more information

Cape West Coast Biosphere Trails

Cape West Coast Biosphere Trails – slackpacker trails on the West Coast! The Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve (CWCBR) is a recognised UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of only 6 in South Africa and just over 600 world-wide. It extends from Diep River in Milnerton in the south, to ... more information

Darling Wind Farm

On the hills just outside Darling, roughly 70 kilometres from Cape Town, stand four wind-generated mills. It's known as an Eskom demonstrator site, which means it's something of a learning platform for the development of the wind energy industry in South Africa. The Darling Wind Farm is one of ... more information

Darling Wine Route

Although traditionally part of the Swartland, Darling is now a demarcated wine district and home to her own wine route, including five wine cellars all of which benefit from the cool breezes off the Atlantic Ocean and the long, hot summers to produce some stunning wines with concentrated flavour, depth and intensity. more information

Wheels of Time Trail

146 kilometres in 4 days: As its name suggests the Wheels of Time trail, one of five trails in the Cape West Coast Biosphere, is a back road cycling trip from Mamre to Darling, Elandsfontein Farm, the West Coast National Park and !Khwa Ttu. Aimed more at recreational cyclists than Absa Cape Epic trainees, the mountain bike ... more information

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Things To Do in Mamre

Evita se Perron

Where: Darling
How much (per person): R1 to R100

It is virtually a sacrilege, if anywhere in the vicinity of Darling (and why wouldn’t you visit the pretty, quaint little town with its many ... more information

Mamre Nature Garden

Where: Mamre
How much (per person): Free

This reserve is not only rich in biodiversity but has an interesting cultural history. The main vegetation type on the reserve is Atlantis S ... more information

On Holiday in Mamre

• Mamre - A Visitors Perspective
• Malmesbury Accommodation
• Mamre Photographs
• Darling Accommodation
• Darling Guest Houses
• Cape West Coast Accommodation
• Western Cape Accommodation

Visiting Mamre?
Also see Things To Do in Cape West Coast or check out Things To Do in Western Cape to view activities by category, including watersports, sightseeing activities, arts & crafts and many, many more.

Mamre Photographs

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