Find peace in the Overberg

Two new campsites have been established on either side of Stanford, offering a peaceful retreat in nature where you can recharge your batteries

- Leon Botha

Camping in nature will always be the best antidote against life’s relentless hustle. For some, the absence of busy water slides, the lack of queues at food stalls, and the solitude of not having anyone pitching their tent next to you feels almost heavenly. The serenity of the day embraces you as you open the door of your caravan or unzip your tent. Pure bliss.

Stanford is a destination that fits this description perfectly. It charms visitors who prefer tranquillity over more bustling destinations, such as nearby Hermanus.

On the Hermanus side of Stanford you can stop just 6 km from the town at the Rivers End Farm where you can set up a camp chair by the peaceful Kleinrivier lagoon. Alternatively, you might choose to drive 10 km inland to relax at the Filicita Country Lodge, where you can unwind next to a charming dam surrounded by a delightful natural garden.

That’s our first destination.

FELICITA COUNTRY LODGE

Seeing the forest and the trees 

At Filicita, you camp beside and beneath remarkable milkwood trees. Nature has provided a lovely campsite, but you must first get there.

Just over 4 km outside the village, you turn off onto a wide dirt road, and 3,4 km later, you turn right again onto a smaller dirt road. A third turn is a mere 450 m along where a farm gate awaits. There’s a sign with an arrow pointing towards the gate – cast your eye onto the horizon to see the Kleinrivier mountain range stretch toward Hermanus. There are two low walls on either side of the entrance, making the gate appear narrower than it is. But, fortunately, the narrowest point of the gate is precisely 3 m, which means you can get through with any caravan.