Nestled at the end of a secluded road at the foot of the Rooiberg Mountains, River Cottage looks out on some of the most beautiful vistas in one of the most beautiful villages in South Africa.

The cottage stoep overlooks an acre of mature gardens that are shared with the main house and surrounded by the amphitheatre of mountains that define Clarens. Both sunrise and sunset provide a stunning silhouette to frame the day. The hour before sunrise is particularly spectacular as the Southern night sky transforms through shades of mauve, pink and red until the sun creeps over the mountains in the East to gradually bathe ‘our mountain’ at the foot of the garden in a golden glow.

Clarens has a moderate mountain climate. Each season provides the valley with its own distinct character: warm and lush in Summer; the golds, bronzes and reds of the falling leaves of the poplars and other deciduous trees in Autumn; and the likelihood of snow in the Winter.

Whilst very private, River Cottage is a mere 500 metres from the centre of Clarens and its profusion of shops, coffee shops, restaurants and galleries plus our own craft brewery. Just a few steps down the road and you are at the spruit, with clearly marked hiking or riding paths leading through a cool, wooded valley to the mountain, into town or up to the dam and the wild trails beyond.