Stadsaal cave

There are many ancient rock formations all over the Cederberg Wilderness and in the Cederberg mountains. The Stadsaal caves are a series of caverns carved into the rocks by thousands of years of erosion. The area was once a sacred site for Bushmen who left their decorative rock art. There are wonderful, well-preserved pictures of elephants that once roamed the plains.

You need to have a permit to enter the Cederberg  Wilderness Reserve, as it is run by Cape Nature. From Citrusdal take the Algeria turnoff and continue to the Matjiesriver Nature Reserve. The caves are 5 kilometres from the Algeria campsite. .

In addition to ancient artwork, the caves have some historical graffiti left by visitors from the late 19th century. Names and dates are carved or written on the rocks, with some visitors returning regularly. One of the most well-known names is D. F. Malan, who later became Prime Minister of South Africa. He visited the site in 1919.