Stadsaal Caves

The Stadsaal - town hall - is a cluster of sandstone formations weathered into chambers, arches and passages you can walk through, orange rock sculpted by wind and water into shapes that read as rooms. It is a short walk from the parking and easy for anyone. The rock art is not in the main chambers but in a separate shelter a few hundred metres away, reached by a short path: a panel of elephants painted in red ochre, simple and confident, from a time when elephants moved through the Cederberg. The main caves carry a different kind of mark - names carved by visitors going back well over a century, including some by figures from South African political history, which the reserve has left as a record rather than removing. Permits are required for the area and are bought at CapeNature offices or nearby farms.

What you actually see

• The weathered chambers - sandstone hollowed into rooms and arches you walk through.
• The elephant panel - red ochre paintings in a separate shelter nearby.
• The old graffiti - carved names going back more than a century in the main cave.
• The Cederberg colour - orange rock strongest at either end of the day.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two hours. Summer heat here is extreme.

Honest expectations

A permit is required and the access roads are gravel. The elephant paintings are in a separate shelter, not the main caves - people miss them. Do not touch or wet the art. There is no water or shade at the site.

Nearby

The Cederberg wilderness surrounds it; Kromrivier and Sanddrif farms are close.