Unique experiences in the Great Karoo.

The Swartberg Pass, built by Thomas Bain in the 1880s, climbs from Prince Albert over the Swartberg on a gravel road held up by hand-built stone walls. In an hour the landscape changes from dry Karoo plain to mountain fynbos and back down to the Klein Karoo. Few drives in the country show you as much geology through a windscreen.

Gamkaskloof, known as Die Hel, is a narrow valley inside the Swartberg that was reachable only on foot for generations. A long, steep gravel road now leads down from the top of the Swartberg Pass. It is part of a nature reserve, with simple places to stay. Check CapeNature before planning a visit; the road and valley may be closed for safety reasons.

A tarred road through a deep gorge, crossing the Groot River many times between cliffs of folded rock. Stop for the short walk to the waterfall. A loop with the Swartberg Pass is possible only when both roads are open; check current access before leaving.

The Great Karoo is one of the darkest places to see the night sky in South Africa. Away from town lights, the Milky Way casts a faint glow. Bring a warm jacket; nights are cold even in summer.

Karoo lamb, figs, olives, apricots, quince, honey. Prince Albert's farms and kitchens use them all, and so does our gelato. The Saturday morning market is the easiest place to taste a lot at once.

At PALET. × KAROOMYS on Bank Street, you can look at paintings and hand-built stoneware and then eat gelato on the stoep, all made by the two people who run the house. It is a small thing, but it is hard to find anywhere else.

Prince Albert makes a good base for all of this: it has places to stay and eat, and every experience above is within a day's round trip. Cape Town is about four and a half hours away by road; the N1 is around 45 km north at Prince Albert Road.