Mountain Biking

Single-track trails

With over 25km of pristine single-track trails, Retreat Guest Farm is a dream of novice and pro riders alike. Our beautiful trails offer fun, technical loops as well as easier gravel sections for the whole family to enjoy. The Beacon Aisle ridge offers panoramic views of the peninsula while the Perdekop climb offering expansive views stretching as far as the Cederberg Mountains. Our trails are open to guests all year round, but are not open to the public, so you can enjoy peace and quiet while on your morning ride!

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Trail Running

& Hiking

Explore the best of the Cape Floral Kingdom on foot with our expansive network of single track trails. Ideal for the avid trail runner or hiker, our trails offer incredible panoramic views of the area as well as beautiful untouched fynbos. Hike up Perdekop for an early morning coffee or explore the incredible rock formations on our Yellowwood Trail. With a choice of challenging climbs, like Perdekop, or leisurely strolls on the Beacon Aisle ridge, there will be something to enjoy for every level of runner or hiker.

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Swimming

& Kayaking

We have a large dam on Langberg Farm, easily accessible on foot from both Somerlus and Langberg cottages and just a 3 minute drive away from Retreat Main House. There are two kayaks available for guests to use and enjoy, just inform Jane on arrival that you'd like to make use of them. If farm dams aren't your thing, all cottages have access to pristine swimming pools. Enjoy stunning views with a sundowner from our reservoir pool on Langberg Farm, or enjoy a dip on your doorstep at the Retreat Main House.

Bouldering

& Rock Climbing

We have incredible rock formations dotted all over the farm, perfect for both rock climbing and bouldering. We have had avid bouldering enthusiasts explore the farm, but haven't had the climbs graded yet, so all explorers are welcome! Please bring all of your own equipment, including bouldering mattresses.

Birding

A variety of bird species

Experience a variety of South Africa's incredible bird species while visiting Retreat Guest Farm. Birds of interest spotted on the farm already include the Secretary Bird, Verreaux's Eagle, Gymnogene and a variety of owl species.

Our long-stay guests staying at Langberg Cottage during Lockdown 2020, Dania and Oliver Berard, kindly compiled a bird list of all the species they spotted during their time on the farm.

DOWNLOAD Birding List

Yellowwood Trail

The Yellowwood trail is roughly a 1,5km amble through a lush Yellowwood and Kliphout forest and awe-inspiring, sandstone rock formations. It's a light, scenic amble, perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Just a 10 minute walk away from Langberg and Somerlus Cottage, this trail offers a truly magical experience as you get lost in a dense forest of indigenous trees and fynbos. At the start of the trail, you will find centuries-old rock paintings. Follow our rock art signs to see some more incredible rock paintings, documenting life on the mountain thousands of years ago.

Our Yellowwood Trail is a unique, must-visit trail on the farm.

Rock Art

Rock art paintings and engravings, made by hunter-gatherers, herders and early farmers, can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. They are the best evidence we have that people expressed their thoughts and ideas graphically long before the introduction of writing.

Each rock art tradition uses a different range of images and symbols, but all have social, spiritual and ritual meaning important to the people who made them. Thinking in concepts like those expressed in rock art is of such fundamental importance to the development of human consciousness and culture that rock art sites have been placed on the World Heritage List in many countries.

In South Africa, the World Heritage Sites that include rock art are Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu Natal, Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo and some of the reserves included in the Cape Floral Region in the Western Cape.

There are three rock painting sites that can be seen behind Langberg Dam. About 10 minutes from Somerlus and Langberg Cottages on the way to the Yellowwood Trail. The paintings are not very well preserved but include some interesting images such as a swarm of red finger dots or prints, a human figure with an unusually large head, two processions, and a large animal with human back legs to name a few. These paintings are thousands of years old and are a vivid reminder of the remarkable artistic skills, social customs and religious beliefs of South Africa’s early inhabitants.