Imagine the Grand Canyon, but full of lush greenery and beautiful waterfalls. You are in Blyde River Canyon, a 26 km long and 800m deep river-cut landscape in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa. Blyde river canyon is the third largest canyon in the world; and the nature reserve encompassing it provides some breathtaking landscapes to tourists, from misty highlands to dry plains of Lowveld. The canyon is a part of the Drakensberg escarpment and follows the path of the Blyde river as it makes its way to the Lowveld.

Blyde means ‘glad’ or ‘happy’ in Afrikaans and the geological treasures along the Panorama route connecting the most iconic viewpoints will make you feel just that: happy! The name of the canyon originated from Dutch ‘voortrekkers’ or explorers who were camping near the river and were overjoyed at the return of their brethren from an expedition to the bay. Since 2005, the name has been officially changed to Motlatse Canyon, although the old provincial name reigns by and large.

Route Description

Often an afterthought to game-watching at Kruger, Blyde River warrants surely more than that with its mighty cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and a plethora of geological wonders . You can visit the reserve over a couple of days to see all the sights, or do a 1-day must-see tour. We decided to do the latter, and made this a day trip on our way back to Johannesburg from Kruger National Park. From Kruger Gate drive to Graskop, and keep driving north on R532. A few kilometers from the town, the road forks into two – take the R534 loop into Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. On this fork, you will come across two stops – Pinnacle Rock and God’s window. Once you are back on R532, keep driving north and make the detour to Berlin Falls. As you drive further north on the R532, you will come across Bourke’s Luck Potholes. 10 kilometers north of Bourke’s potholes, comes one of the most stunning viewpoints on this route – the Lowveld view. The viewpoint is not well marked, so make sure not to miss it! The final stop on our road trip was the Three Rondavels Viewpoint, which is a ticketed destination and well marked. Road conditions were good throughout, with only a few occasional potholes.

Suggested Itinerary – 1 day along the Panorama Route

• Pinnacle Rock

  The Pinnacle Rock is a massive freestanding rock pillar erupting from the bottom of the verdant Driekop gorge and rising about 30 meters in height. Quite a dramatic sight, it was a great way to get started on the geologic wonders of this route!

  

  

• God’s Window

  God’s window is so-called for its expansive view of the Lowveld, almost 900m below the cliff God’s Window is perched on. The Lowveld is a lush stretch of greenery and rolling hills as far as the eyes can see. In fact, the forests of the Lowveld house the world famous Kruger National Park which can be seen in the distance on clear days. The viewpoint is a short but steep walk from the parking lot. The trail can get crowded during peak times with locals and tourists alike. From the main view point, you can go further on the trail marked towards Rain Forest for more lookouts. You can spot a few interesting tropical plants on this walk too!

  Many vendors sell African handicrafts and curios near the parking lot. While the other viewpoints have vendors too, we found this to be the most varied. The curios are reasonably priced and the vendors are welcoming and friendly.

  

  

• Berlin Falls

  Berlin Falls tumbles over a 80m high rock face in a single stream and drops into a stunning jade-colored pool that is perfectly round. This gorgeous vista is set in a background of red colored cliffs, providing a dramatic contrast to the blue-green waters. The waterfall can be viewed from an observation deck, steps away from the car park. Above the waterfall, a row of trees line the cliff-top, making the view postcard-perfect!

  Although this was the only waterfall we visited on this route, there are a few more beautiful waterfalls to explore – Mac Mac falls, Lisbon Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

  

  

  

• Lowveld Viewpoint

  Just before you approach the popular Three Rondavels, this viewpoint is one of the very few free attractions on the route. A quick walk from the car, you can see the first glimpse of the blue Blyde river nestled in the gorge. The steep ochre slopes of the Drakensberg escarpment rise on one side and low, rolling mountains on the other. An excellent spot to get clicked with the panorama, if you can avoid the crowds! Plan to spend some time here soaking in the view.

  

  

  

• Three Rondavels Viewpoint

  One of the icons of the Blyde River Canyon, this amazingly beautiful overlook is worth more than a brief stop. Take your time exploring the paved pathways at the viewpoint, and you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the canyon. With red-rock buttresses on either side, the canyon cradles the Blyde river as it flows towards the Blydepoort dam. The viewpoint is perched on the widest part of the canyon and the canyon itself opens up into the lush green African Lowveld shortly after.

  

  

  However, the most striking geological feature consists of the namesake ‘Three Rondavels’. These are three round mountaintops with slightly pointed tops, reminiscent of traditional African huts and named after them. The viewpoint is also known as The Chief and his Three Wives because the flat-topped peak is said to represent the great chief Mapjaneng, and the three rondavels represent three of his wives, Magabolle, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto. The spectacular geological shapes were formed due to the erosion of the underlying soft rocks by the river, leaving the overlying shale and quartzite layers to take the shape of rondavels.

  

  

We visited Panorama route on a pleasant summer day in December. However, we think it is beautiful and has something to offer in all seasons. For the drive, pack plenty of water and sunscreen, and maybe a picnic lunch before you set out. Most destinations charge a small fee, so keep some cash handy (R20-R50 per vehicle for each stop). If you want to spend a few days, there are plenty of accommodation options at Graskop town. We hope this blog will help you in planning this amazing scenic drive in South Africa!