Rooibos Heritage Route

About Rooibos Heritage Route

Savour the peace and quiet of the Suid Bokkeveld and the Cedarberg Mountains on a route that links Nieuwoudtville and Wupperthal via Moedverloor (the route is also sometimes called the Moedverloor Route).

Did you know? The Rooibos factory in Clanwilliam may have started as a cottage industry, but it has grown to supply rooibos tea globally. The Aspalathus linearis plant produces needle-like leaves that, when harvested, bruised and fermented, make not only a tasty tea, but one very high in antioxidant properties, recommended for all sorts of ailments.

En route are a group of authentic small scale farmers that you can visit, guided hikes, rock art, medicinal plants, and even courses on baking traditional bread and how to harvest your own rooibos tea.

Sleep in a matjieshut under the stars, enjoy a cup of organic rooibos tea with a slice of homemade bread or 'roosterkoek' as it's known, do a course on 'veldkos' or food from the veld, learn how to collect rooibos seed and how to make a baby bag from sheepskin. And do all of this on some of the most incredible roads (tar and dust) of the Cederberg that allow you to see some of the best scenery in the Western Cape.

Best of all, the Rooibos Heritage Route offers an alternative during the spring flower season. Depending on what the rain season was like (and other mystical weather conditions that have to be just right for a flower season to occur) all of the route will be filled with wild flowers, not least of all Nieuwoudtville, where a trip to the bulb nursery is mandatory.

The reason for the Rooibos route is to provide an environmentally friendly tourist route between Wupperthal and Nieuwoudtville. The route encourages visitors to use the local accommodation and hospitality of rooibos farmers and their families who can share their knowledge and environment with them.

Doing the route raises awareness and helps conserve both the natural and cultural heritage of the Greater Cederberg region. Pick up a pamphlet on the Rooibos Heritage Route at local tourism offices.