Hartbeespoort

The Crocodile River cuts through the Magaliesberg at a natural gap, and in 1923 a dam was completed across it, flooding the valley behind and creating the water that Gauteng weekends on. The setting is genuinely good - the ridge rises steeply on both sides and the road crosses the dam wall through a rock tunnel - and the shore is now dense with resorts, restaurants, markets and holiday houses. The Aerial Cableway climbs to the top of the ridge in a few minutes, and the view from the summit walkway takes in the dam, the Magaliesberg running east and west, and the Hartbeespoort basin. The Magaliesberg itself is one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth, far older than the Himalayas, and is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The dam water suffers persistent pollution and algal blooms, and swimming is not advisable.

What you actually see

• The dam in the gap - a 1923 wall across the Crocodile River between ridges.
• The cableway - a short ascent to a summit walkway above the basin.
• The Magaliesberg - a range far older than the Himalayas, a biosphere reserve.
• The weekend shore - resorts, markets and restaurants around the water.

When to go

April to September for clear dry air. A day. Weekdays for the cableway without queues.

Honest expectations

The water is polluted and prone to algal blooms - do not swim. Weekend traffic on the surrounding roads is heavy. Development around the shore is dense and unattractive in places. The cableway closes in high wind and lightning.

Nearby

The Cradle of Humankind is south-east; Pilanesberg is west.