Panorama Route South Africa

The Panorama Route is known as one of the most beautiful scenic drives in South Africa. The route winds around 18 km through a beautiful mountain landscape. If you’re going to do a road trip through South Africa then definitely take this route. In this blog I will take you along the highlights of this amazing route.

We started the Panorama route from Hazyview. After a delicious breakfast you step into your car for a very nice trip. The first stop we made was at the Pinnacle. The weather was unfortunately not very good, it was so foggy that there was little to see. A little bit of a pity because we only had today to drive the Panorama Route. We decided to drive a little bit further to the Lisbon Falls and hoped the fog would disappear later on.

Lisbon Falls

I’m glad we did drive further to the Lisbonn Falls. At first we had not planned this stop for today. The Lisbon Falls is a beautiful waterfall with a super beautiful environment. The Lisbon Falls has a fall of about 90 meters into the depth. From the parking lot you can walk to a viewing platform. Even better is to go for a walk on the hiking trail. Take the trail and you will walk through a beautiful area and can enjoy much more of the waterfall and the surroundings.

Pinnacle

After the stop at the Lisbon Falls we decide to try it again at the Pinnacle. And we were lucky! The fog disappeared and we had a great view at the Pinnacle. The Pinnacle is an impressive tower of stone. The tower is overgrown with green plants and mosses and looks a bit mysterious. Walk around a bit over here and take a have a good look at the rock formations. The structure of the rocks are very special.

God’s Window

The next stop is at God’s Window. God’s Window is one of the most famous viewpoints along the Panorama Route. It’s therefore the busiest viewpoint. My tip: don’t drive to the parking lot, but park your car along the road and walk a short distance to the entrance. Unfortunately for us this viewpoint was filled with a dense fog so there was little to see. However, don’t worry, at this viewpoint there is also a nice walking path through a beautiful forest area.

Bourke’s Luck Potholes

Bourke’s Luck Potholes is a true geological masterpiece. Bourke’s Luck Potholes consists of many special erosion holes and trenches. The Blyde river and the Treur river have carried sand and stones that have caused these holes. Walk over the bridges and on the various plateaus. A small exhibition about the history of Bourke’s Luck Potholes has been set up in the information center. You can’t skip this stop.

Three Rondavels

The last stop is at the Three Rondavels. Make sure you have enough time to make this stop because it would be a shame to miss. Before you really drive to the Three Rondavels, make a short stop at the Lowveld Lookout. From here you also have a nice view of the Three Rondavels. The Three Rondavels are three round hills that resemble the traditional Zulu huts. Just like Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels are also caused by erosion. Very nice to view these hills formed by nature!

Drive the Panorama Route and see these beautiful highlights of South Africa. Of course there’re other stops to make but if you have only one day, you have to make a selection and choose the points on the route that you are interested in.