The Elgin District

Elgin Valley

The Elgin Valley lies at an altitude of about 300m above sea level, and is enclosed on all sides by mountains, the tallest of which are in the Nuweberg range. The cooler and wetter climate enables gardeners to grow an unusually wide range of plants. Soil range from heavy gravelly clays to free-draining sandstones. The valley is mainly given over to apples, pears and vines but the mountain slopes are generally pristine and support a fynbos flora rich in shrubs, particularly Erica. The main village is Grabouw, about 75 km from Cape Town.

Bot River

The village of Bot River lies below the Houw Hoek pass at the head of a lagoon that stretches south to Kleinmond and Hawston. The Bot River itself forms a narrow, sparsely inhabited valley that runs inland between Bot River village and the Vyeboom district.

Vyeboom

From Grabouw the Villiersdorp Road winds north through the beautiful Viljoen’s Pass, descending sharply into the fertile valley of Vyeboom. The area is dominated by the giant Theewaterskloof dam which has flooded former low-lying areas. Large tracts of privately owned land are now run as a Conservancy.