The various regions of the S.A. West Coast

THE WEST COAST


Of Special Interest

Darling
Darling

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THE SEVILLA SAN ROCK ART TRAIL

Perhaps one of the most amazing things to see in the Cederberg are some incredible examples of San rock art.

The Cederberg although incredibly stark and barren, with few trees andamazing sandstone formations and rock outcroppings, was for perhaps 20,000 years, home to the San (arguably the oldest of all ancient peoples) who lived in the caves of the region, doing their hunting and gathering.

Since they used the many caves and overhangs of the region as both shelter and canvas for their "rock art" the Cederberg is a veritable treasure chest of pictures painted on these rocks thousands of years ago. These are without doubt the coolest art galleries ever.

The 4km trail winds along the Brandewyn river and visits nine sites of rock art paintings left behind by the San people, who inhabited the area for thousands of years.The trail takes you through cliffs to 9 different rock art sites where the paintings are between 6,000 - 500,000 years old! As you wander through these beautiful cliffs and hills you come across these amazingly beautiful cave paintings, each one more beautiful than the next.

At first you may not see much, but as your eyes become more trained you see pictures everywhere you turn. You can feel the centuries and centuries that have passed since these pictures were drawn, and wonder whether what we leave behind will be as simple, beautiful and expressive?."

Originally, the pictures had multiple colors but some of the colors haven't lasted as long as others so that some of the figures appear without heads, etc. You will be amazed at how delicate and descriptive the pictures are.

 

The Sevilla trail offers some of the finest examples of rock art in the district and a fascinating glimpse into the world of these early inhabitants.
The trail is relatively easy walking, the atmosphere is inspiring and in spring the wild flowers are and added bonus. Small game, dassies and baboons may be encountered on the walk and a fascinating array of indigenous plant species and birds can be observed.

A free pamphlet with some information about each of the nine site is available from Traveller's Rest and copies of the book "Rock Art of the Western Cape - Book 1: The Sevilla Trail" by Peter Slingsby are for sale on the farm for those who would like more information on the rock art as well as plants on the trail.

PERMITS
The paintings may also be viewed by day visitors, but please note that permits should be obtained from Traveller's Rest - click here to contact us.

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