Hogsback, Amatola Mountains, Eastern Cape
Hogsback is a small village situated about 1300m above sea level in the Amatola Mountains, and is rated as one of South Africa’s loveliest destinations. It has the character of an English country village, and is surrounded by the misty tangled forests of the Amatolas.
The Amatoles is one of two areas in South Africa where the distinct afro-montane forest biome occurs. The other is the Tsitsikamma and Knysna area on the coast. This forest is characterised by waterfalls and bubbling streams, dense fern layers, multi-layers of trees with twisted branches, hanging mosses, arum lilies, orchids and other wildflowers, fallen logs covered in bright mushrooms, and sun dapples through the thick, high canopies formed by large hardwoods such as the Yellowwood. Birds that may glimpsed flitting through the canopy of the forests around Hogsback include the scarlet winged Knysna Loeries and Cape Parrots.
Hogsback is an enchanting village that wouldn’t be out of place in the Lord of the Rings. In fact, so strong is this aesthetic connection, that a ‘mountain legend’ (as opposed to urban legend) and with a no. of variations, is that J.R.R Tolkien was inspired to create the forest of Mirkwood after visiting Hogsback. In fact, it was his son, Christopher Tolkien, who spent some time in Hogsback in the 1940’s. Nevertheless, this is still ‘Lord of the Rings Country’. It’s where you might not be too surprised to grab a branch only to awaken a moss-covered Ent.
For the less fanciful at heart, there are many activities in the area surrounding Hogsback that offer the opportunity to get soaked in mountain forest mist and in the beauty of your surroundings – from the ‘old man’s beard’ moss that brushes your arm, to magical waterfalls and the verdant mountain vistas. You can explore the Amatole’s around Hogsback in hiking boots, by mountain bike, on horseback, or on fishing trip to a trout dam.
For a never-to-forget experience of the magical cloud forests of the Amatolas, there’s nothing to beat the 5 day (6 night) Amatola Hiking Trail, though this is rated as difficult and is only for the fit and/or experienced hiker.
In the village things to do include a visit to the various arts and crafts shops, pottery studios, galleries and gardens including the Starways Art Centre, the Camelot Fairy Realm and the Labyrinth Maize, and as beautiful as the surroundings are in the summer months, the village becomes even more enchanting in the winter months when it is often covered in snow.
Hogsback Arts Festival usually takes place at the beginning of October. The Festival features a multitude of events and displays created by local artists who live and work in the Eastern Cape. Visitors can expect to find an entertaining line-up of music genres including jazz, opera, blues, rhythm and more. Contact: Hogsback Arts Festival on +27 (0)45 962 1174
So why such a name for a ‘faery’ village? Hogsback is named after the mountain ridge on which it is situated, which resemble a hairy hog’s back from a distance.
Getting there: Hogsback lies within a 1.5hr drive triangle between Queenstown in the north, Grahamstown in the south and East London to the east. Take the R63 from King Williams Town, turning right after 53kms and just before the town of Alice. The R63 will take you a left turn into Hogsback after 29km.
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