South Africa may not be the first place you think of when booking adventure travel, but this country has a remarkable array of sights to see and things to do. Hiking, surfing, and wildlife viewing are just a few of the things you can do here, but mountain biking in South Africa is one of the fastest growing attractions.
Stellenbosch, just outside of Cape Town, is a hilly region known more for its vineyards than for cycling, but it is also home to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, which boasts a vast network of mountain biking trails, many of which were built in the 1990s. In 2015, a wildfire swept through the park, burning out most of the trees, but this natural disaster is actually turning out to be a benefit to the bike trail system. With the funding obtained to help the park recover, older trails are being repaired and new ones created. Local trail designer Bennet Nel aims to make South Africa a premiere destination for cycling enthusiasts from around the globe.
South Africa is a large country with a diverse ecosystem. Encompassing just about the entire southern tip of the continent of Africa, it has rugged beachfronts, deserts, forests, mountain landscapes, and grasslands that are home to big game all within its borders. Table Top Mountain, in Cape Town, is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve also offers hiking and swimming for visitors to enjoy. For a glimpse of this beautiful region and all it has to offer, watch this video featuring two adventurous young women who had never met before as they embark on a wild ride mountain biking in South Africa.
Featured Image from Dmitrii Vaccinium/Unsplash
