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LITTLE KAROO

The Little Karoo is nestled between a couple of mountain ranges. The Outeniqua and Langeberg mountains in the south and the Swartberg mountains in the north. In between, you will find a semi-arid region with big skies, wide open roads, unique flora and the Ostrich capitol of the world: Oudtshoorn.

Little Karoo Route 62 Western Cape

For a long time, these mountain ranges have made it quite difficult to reach the Little Karoo. But nowadays there are many mountain passes to choose from, some of which are very narrow and dramatic looking. Many of these passes on the Outeniqua and Langeberg mountains are paved and pose no problem for any type of vehicle. Another scenic drive here is Route 62. It runs between Oudtshoorn and Montagu and is often a great alternative to the busy N2 coastal highway.

Little Karoo Mountain Pass Rocks Cliffs

The Little Karoo has a hidden attraction that not all tourists are aware of. This region is the land of succulents. The Succulent Karoo Biome can be found in many areas in this region. This biome is home to the richest diversity of succulent plant species on earth. These plants are adapted to conserve as much water as possible. Together with the Fynbos and Nama-Karoo Biome, this region truly is a floral hotspot.

The floral diversity of the Little Karoo is some of the highest in the world. A number of factors are responsible for this diversity. The region consists of mountains, valleys, rolling hills, rocky areas, plains and a maze of small drainage systems. Together with the convergence of a hot and dry climate in the north and a cool and moist climate in the south, plant life is able to thrive here. Over 3200 plant species occur here, of which 400 are endemic.

Little Karoo Landscape White House Hills Plants Vegetation

The most dominant plant species here are succulents, desert-adapted grasses, perennial & annual wildflowers, acacia trees and drought-resistant shrubs. The months of July, August and September are the best to visit here and see an abundance of colorful succulents. Noteworthy plant families are the Stonecrop and Stone Plant families. In these two families you will find many succulent plants that are so characteristic to arid environments.

Little Karoo Cheetah Animal Mammal Cat

There are quite a lot of different mammal species in the Little Karoo. Some of the game reserves have the Big 5 present and other reserves host species like Klipspringer, Greater Kudu, Springbok, Cape Porcupine, Gemsbok, Giraffe, Aardvark, Mountain Zebra and Nyala. Some reserves also inhabit the critically endangered Riverine Rabbit.

Little Karoo Meerkat Suricate Animal Mammal

Over 200 bird species have been observed here, with some notable birds being the Martial Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle, Cape Rockjumper, Southern Black Korhaan, Blue Crane, Crowned Lapwing, Kori Bustard and Blacksmith Lapwing. But this region is most famous for the Common Ostrich. Although they can be found throughout South Africa, the most handsome specimens have always come from the Little Karoo. You can find many Ostrich farms here, especially around Oudtshoorn.

Little Karoo Elephants Landscape Hills

The, mostly, dry and arid landscape of the Little Karoo is ideal for reptiles. With 5 species of tortoise and many snakes and lizards, this class is well represented.

Browse through some of the species you can find in this region:

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