More about Blyde River Canyon

Tucked in between the dramatic outline of the Drakensburg Mountains and the aquamarine waters of the Blyde River is the Blyde River Canyon – a bush sanctuary and extremely popular stop off point for guests visiting in the area.

Making its home in an eighty-five hectare botanical reserve in Mpumalanga, this well known area forms part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is just a forty minute drive from the Orpen Gate to the Kruger National Park. Constituted mostly of red sandstone, the canyon’s highest point, Mariepskop, measures at 1944m above sea level, its lowest point being slightly less than 560m above sea level. This makes it the third largest canyon in the world.

Blyde River Canyon is host to a diverse selection wildlife, birdlife, and vegetation, as well as an extensive fish population. Large groups of antelope species share this river with hippo and crocodile populations. Trees are alive with the chatter of a great many primatee species, including Greater and Lesser Bush Babies, Vervet and Samango Monkeys.

Birdlife, similarly, is extremely diverse, with the striking Narina Trogon winging through skies alongside the Cape Vulture, Crowned Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Whitebacked Vulture, Olive Bush Shrike, and Rock Kestrel.

Located alongside the popular Panorama Route in the Blyde River Canyon of the Mpumalanga/Limpopo Province. It is considered a sister attraction to the nearby Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Three Rondawels, God’s Window and a host of waterfalls.

The Blyde River Canyon is the second largest canyon in Africa, following the Fish River Canyon.

One of the site's most impressive attractions is the towering, 200 meter Kadishi Tufa waterfall - the second tallest tufa waterfall on earth!
Tufa waterfalls form as a result of water cascading over dolomite rock, wearing away and absorbing calcium as it passes. Rock formations are deposited against the face of the surrounding rock more rapidly than they are eroded, and in the case of the Kadishi Tufa fall, formations can produce beautiful and unnerving impressions - Kadishi waterfall's resembles a crying face, earning it the moniker 'the weeping face of nature'.