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eScape Route

You have to stop to admire the beauty of the mountains, forests and plains and interact with our people to fully appreciate this area. There is much to offer in the area and many stories to be told. Stutterheim, at the heart of the area, has a very interesting political past which allowed people to think that there was a way to deal with inequalities of the past. We also have a range of adventure tourism and cultural attractions and a large amounts of arts and crafts all waiting to be discovered.

Each of these area of activities is rich with history and particular characters and it is these stories that the route seeks to encapsulate on their website, tourism information centre and possibly even in a series of guided tours.

Our crafters and artists have a unique blend of products such as silverware and raku pottery. Visitors are able to see these products being made. The route is a place of interaction.

Activities in the area:

The eScape Route has drawn together a wide range of proposed tourism-based activities in the Stutterheim region, and with the support of European Funding is turning these into reality.

In addition to the incredible natural scenery and climate, Stutterheim now boasts a range of activities to keep any visitor both busy and enchanted:

Hiking - some of the best walking trails in South Africa;
Trout and bass fishing at Gubu Dam or Wriggleswade Dam;
Birding, including regular sightings of the endangered Cape Parrot;
Mountain biking;
Paintball at Old Thomas River;
4x4 trails;
Visit the Rock Art Museum or take a rock art tour;
Stutterheim Stationary Engine Museum , with the largest collection of restored stationary engines in the Eastern Cape;
Rock climbing and bouldering;
Walks to the forest waterfalls;
Sailing and other water sports at Wriggleswade Dam;
Golf, squash, tennis and bowls;
Trips to Mgwali Cultural Xhosa Village; and
Local art at Eagles Ridge.

Useful Links

www.escaperoute.co.za

Nearby routes

Baviaanskloof Route

The Baviaanskloof Route encompasses the broader Baviaanskloof area, which contains a newly proclaimed World Heritage Site, and offers a mix of sights and activities relating to nature and culture.

Garden Route Sea Kayaking Trails

These trails are situated along the famous Garden Route. The area offers warm-water sea paddling with its associated marine life, as well as many lakes and estuaries to explore.

Inyathi Buffalo Route

Buffalo City boasts a variety of tourist attractions and is rich in cultural and natural resources. The 68km coastline includes 10 estuaries, conservancies, natural heritage sites, rocky shores and 14 sandy beaches. There is a long-standing tradition of beadwork in the area.

Maloti Route

This route spans the borders between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, providing travellers with the opportunity to experience a diversity of cultures – Basotho, English, Xhosa and Afrikaans.

Mbodla Eco-Heritage Route

The Fish River (Nxuba) Valley is located adjacent to a thriving game-farming area of the Eastern Cape. The Mbodla Eco-heritage Route adds an original, Afro-centric, environmental, cultural and heritage dimension to the region’s offerings.

Mid-Karoo Route

This route is surrounded by dramatic mountains in the heart of the great Karoo and falls within the Nama Karoo Biome. This region is recognised for its herbal plant life, an exceptional variety of scarce birdlife and rock art from the San Bushmen. It is also one of the few, and best, places in the world where fossils are found.

Port St Johns Open Africa Route

En-route from Durban to Buffalo City, Port St Johns has numerous estuaries, bays and headlands. Small sandy bays and long stretches of open beach are found here, often near the mouth of large rivers like Umzimvubu River and Umngazana.

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