Blyde River Canyon

The Blyde River Canyon - The largest canyon in South Africa

The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world and one of the most spectacular sights in Africa. This great escarpment is the kind of place where brochures and guide books run out of original adjectives to describe the fresh mountain scenery and magnificent panoramic views over cliffs rising 600m-800m from the river bed.

The Three Rondavels are huge rock spirals rising out of the far wall of the canyon. Where the Blyde River (‘river of joy’) and the Treur River (‘river of sorrow’) meet, water erosion has formed one of the most remarkable geological phenomena in the country, known as ‘Bourke’s Luck Potholes’. Over thousands of years, surreal cylindrical rock sculptures created by whirling water, have formed a series of dark pools which contrast artfully with the streaked white and yellow lichen covered rocks. Following the road and the Treur River south, there are further spectacular viewpoints: Wonder View, God’s Window and the Pinnacle.

Blyde Canyon cuts through the Mpumalanga part of the Drakensberg Mountain Range, one of the seven major mountain systems in Africa. The botanical wonders of these high altitude afromontane forests can be witnessed while walking some unforgettable trails laid out under the forest canopy.

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