Walking & Cycling

We have several paths through our 400 hectare farm. They lead through fynbos covered mountains and invariably reveal magnificent views. The cycling paths vary from rough fire paths to the pass which is tarred but steep. It is possible to walk for several several kilometers on the public roads on the mountain, from the farm to the beginning of the Groot Winterhoek Reserve.

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Swimming

In the summer months our guests enjoy either their private pools (Restio, Heron House & Pelargonium) or the communal pool set against a kopje or Temptation Dam. The dam, with its sandy edges and warm shallows, is ideal for children.

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Fauna

It is well known that the Cape Floristic Region is one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth, home to over 9,000 species. The Groot Winterhoek Mountains, and especially the Reserve, are considered a vital sanctuary to the preservation of many endemic species, some of which are threatened. The variety is staggering – it is said that on every day of the year a different species starts flowering! Since acquiring Pampoen Fontein in 2000 the owners have cleared aprox. 350 hectares of alien plant species – thousands of man hours are still spent each year removing regrowth. Flower viewing is best from August to November when the bulbs are in flower – but from June to December proteas and pincushions are prolific, while from November to February the ericas are in bloom.

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Animals

Rhebok are prolific – often seen grazing around the cottages in the early morning and evening. There’s a colony of dassies in the kopjie near Protea and Pelargonium. Klip Springer are often seen when walking among the rocks and evidence of the elusive mountain leopard is common: we once found a rhebok carcass wedged in a tree near Protea cottage.

             

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Bird watching

The area is home to about 100 species including some that are uncommon in Southern Africa like Veraux’s (Black) Eagle, the Cape Sugarbird and the Cape Rock Jumper. Pampoen Fontein Check List