Loerie, Baviaanskloof
The little town of Loerie - probably named due to the prominence in the Baviaanskloof and surrounding area of the rather elusive Knysna Loerie that reveals itself only when absolutely necessary - is one of three towns in the Gamtoos River Valley that serves as something of a gateway to the Baviaanskloof.
Loerie is probably best known for its annual Naartjie festival during September during which, obviously, naartjies are the main attraction, but visitors are also able to sample a variety of vegetables and food and there is a music stage and a naartjie-eating competition that makes for great excitement. It would be fair to describe Loerie as relatively small. The village consists of little more than a railway station - used initially to transport limestone, it now serves as the finish of the annual Great Train relay between the friendly city and Loerie - a church, a fistful of houses and a local store. But Loerie forms the first port of call for many a traveller heading this way from Port Elizabeth, where it lies flanked by the foothills of the Elands and Groot Winterhoek Mountains.
The relatively unknown Stinkhout Berg Nature Reserve lies wedged between Loerie and Hankey, the Cockscomb Mountain serving as a major landmark thereof; and the beautiful, fertile valley is an awesome blend of nature, agriculture, beauty and wilderness that makes it a special place to which to escape.
Travellers' Reviews
1 Review from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.
Verified review
The surrounding countryisde of Loerie is very nice, similar to the rest of Baviaanskloof. There's not much to do here, so I wouldn't make a whole holiday of this one town, but it's good for a morning.
Tsego (Soweto)
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Pabala Private Nature Reserve is situated in the Loerie, a malaria free area in the Eastern Cape. Accommodation is offered in our farmyard cottag...
Things to do in the area
Hankey Sundial
Nestled deep within the picturesque Gamtoos Valley in the Eastern Cape are three small towns - Loerie, Patensie and Hankey. Hankey is the oldest ...
Baviaanskloof MTB Route
Where: The Baviaanskloof World Heritage SiteLevel: difficult, the routes are long and can be gruellingType of route: gravel roads, tricky river c...
Noteworthy attractions
Gamtoos Valley
Lying adjacent to the Garden Route, just over an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth, the Gamtoos Valley is home to the three little villages of Han...
Baviaanskloof Wilderness Reserve
The Valley of the Baboons in the Eastern Cape (in the sandy soil of this valley one can easily spot their footprints), also known as the Baviaans...
Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve
The Baviaanskloof Wilderness is an incredibly scenic gorge that lies between two sets of mountain ranges - the Baviaanskloof and the Kouga mounta...
Antoniesberg Pass
Antoniesberg Pass is a remote, sheer gravel pass that links the Groot River with the northern side of the Baviaanskloof Mountains.The pass itself...
Grasnek Pass
The ‘home of the baboons’ (Baviaanskloof) is a deep ravine through which sweep a number of mountain passes that are nothing short of spectacular....
Combrinks Pass
The Baviaanskloof is a valley that runs east to west between the Baviaanskloof Mountains and the Kouga Mountains. The wilderness area is also a W...
Nuwekloof Pass Baviaanskloof
The Nuwekloof Pass functions as an entrance to the Baviaanskloof, its red rock faces linking the western section of the kloof with the Karoo town...
Holgat Pass
Only one road takes you through the kloof, which is probably why so much of its landscape is untouched, pristine and remote. To the north of Bavi...
The Kouga Dam
Built in the 1960s, the Kouga Dam was the first double-arched dam in South Africa. It's worth a stop for the beauty of its setting in amongst the...
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