Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve - 22 May 2022. We were pleasantly surprised by this nature reserve and the trail we followed up, down and around Paarl mountain. Paarl is derived from the Dutch term, parel, which is pearl in English. The mountain is so named because the huge, round granite rock looks like pearls. There are three rounded outcrops with the largest one being viewable from the N1 highway as you drive past Paarl.
To get to the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve you follow a long dirt road. It is a bit narrow at parts, but overall it is well kept and any car should be able to make its way up to the nature reserve entrance. Here there is ample safe parking, braai spots, public toilets and even a botanical garden! We followed a (sorta) circular trail and went in the direction of the Paarl rocks first. They are amazing up close! It feels like a different world up there. There are interesting rock formations and views for days. Climbing up the rocks to see what is over its rounded surface was loads of fun!
There is a network of paths and trails you can follow, some of which is shared by mountain bikers and vehicles as well. There are other sites in the nature reserve where you can go braai and chill for the day. We passed several friendly hikers and trail runners on our route. The vehicles and mountain bikers were not an issue as there is plenty of space for everyone on the wider roads. What made the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve hike special is the multitude of natural landmarks, interesting spots and the way Mother Nature takes on another guise in the blink of an eye. One second you are on a massive rock, the next you follow a path engulfed by beautiful ferns. There were plenty of these natural transitions, which we did not expect from this trail.
There are plenty of beautiful plants (especially fynbos and proteas) along the way. The star of the show were the tiny little oxalis plants scattered along the path. It was a bit tricky at times not to accidentally tread over them! Our trail was about 12.75 kms long and our moving time was just under 3 hours. We spent loads of time taking plenty of photos as there was so much to see and experience. All these paths were gorgeous. The last part of our trail back to the parking area was a bit boring however. This is common for many circular routes though. This is how we score the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve:
Overall Score: 9/10
Cost: Free (Please tip the car guard)
Difficulty: 4/10 (Not difficult at all, though the Paarl rock itself has a steep climb)
Technical: No
Views: Plenty
Pools and Waterfalls: None, but plenty of other...
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