Nieuwoudtville is a small rural town famous for its pretty sandstone buildings, flowers and gardens, due to the variety and quantity of bulb flowers that bloom in this particular part of the Hantam Karoo of the Northern Cape – called the Bokkeveld Plateau. Like the Namaqualand further north, the semi-arid Bokkeveld bursts into spectacular flower between the months of August and October when over 1350 species of plant (6% of them found nowhere else on earth and a third of them threatened with extinction) bloom in a profusion of colour and life. Over 40% of these species are bulbous plants – earning Nieuwoudtville the twin accolades of Bulb Capital of the World and Jewel of the Hantam Karoo – an Internationally acclaimed biodiversity hotspot.
The sparsely populated and unpolluted landscape around Nieuwoudtville offers many opportunities to drive out, enjoy the space and scenery or get active in nature. Attractions near Nieuwoudtville incude the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve with its excellent hiking trails, the Hantam Botanical Gardens, The Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve and the Nieuwoudtville Falls – one of the most beautiful waterfalls in South Africa. The Tankwa Karoo National Park is also nearby.
Read more on Nieuwoudtville and its floral and historical heritage.
Getting there: Niewoudtville is situated just off the R27. Take the N7 north from Cape Town.
