Travel to Colesberg

a prominent kopje on the open Karoo landscape

Colesberg is located in the centre of South Africa, approximately 360 km north of Port Elizabeth.

The town was widely known to early European settlers for the distinctive rock outcrop known as Cole’s Kop, which can be seen for many miles in this largely featureless Karoo landscape.

These days the town is an agricultural centre which is particularly renowned for sheep farming and race-horse breeding.

The area is commonly used as a stopover as it lies on the main N1 highway, midway between Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The Gariep Dam across the Orange River lies 40 km to the east of Colesberg and has a few accommodation options in the vicinity.

Philippolis is a sleepy Karoo village north of the N1, previously home to author Laurens van der Post. It has a nice arty feel and some decent lower cost guest-houses.

a handful of simple but pleasant guesthouses