The Spectacular Blyde River Canyon in South Africa

South Africa’s Blyde River Canyon, also known as the Motlae Canyon, sits at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. It is a remarkable geological icon, made even more beautiful by the lush greenery that clings to its walls.

The Blyde River Canyon’s mist-shrowded rock formations tower above the verdant canyon slopes, providing birds-eye views of the river below. It is among the most beautiful canyons in the world and one of South Africa’s most awe-inspiring natural attractions.

Visiting the World’s Third Largest Canyon

Everyone has heard of Arizona’s stunning Grand Canyon—one of the seven natural wonders of the world and arguably the planet’s greatest geological treasure. Even those who have not visited this natural wonder can tell of its staggering depth, its layers of color and its international renown. Yet, just as olympic silver and bronze medalists are often overshadowed by those who take home the gold, so too are the world’s smaller canyons often overshadowed by the grandeur of the United States’ number one natural attraction.

But just because the Grand Canyon has claimed the gold medal, doesn’t mean that silver and bronze medalists are very far behind.

I visited the world’s second largest canyon—along Namibia’s Fish River—while road-tripping around Southern Namibia. The views were splendid, the colors magnificent and, best of all, we had the national park largely to ourselves.

A few months later, I found myself once again standing at a viewpoint, taking in the colors of the world’s third largest canyon in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Dan and I flew to Johannesburg from Cape Town during our two week South Africa itinerary. We planned on spending a week in the eastern provinces of South Africa and decided to stop by the Blyde River Canyon en-route to Kruger National Park.

The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve spans nearly 30,000 hectares in the northern province of Mpumalanga, at the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment. The canyon weaves its way through red sandstone cliffs that are carpeted in greenery. It is one of South Africa’s ultimate bucket list destinations and a must-see attraction for anyone travel en-route to Kruger.

Top Blyde River Canyon Attractions

The Blyde River Canyon has a host of noteworthy lookout points that should not be missed. Each viewpoint is stunning and unique. By encompassing a variety of them during our visit to the canyon, Dan and I were able to see the geological diversity of the area, which included lush mountainsides, stratifications of color and unique rock formations.

Among the canyon’s top attractions, are God’s Window, the Three Rondavels and Pinnacle Rock.

• God’s Window

When we pulled up to the God’s Window Lookout it was so overcast that all we could see was a blanket of white before us. Dan and I explored the paths around the canyon rim, winding through the thick vegetation and hoping that the skies would clear enough for us to catch a glimpse of the gorge below.

From God’s Window, the sheer cliffs of the canyon plunge over 700 meters into the lowveld. From the escarpment, spectacular views of the sweeping scenery extend outward, toward Kruger Park and into Mozambique.

With time, the clouds parted, giving us a sweeping panoramic view from God’s Window.

We soaked in the canyon views from God’s Window for a while and, before we knew it, realized that we would need to pick up the pace if we wanted to visit the remainder of the famous lookout points before sundown.

• The Three Rondavels

The Three Rondavels are three round, grass-dusted mountain tops that are said to resemble the traditional rondavel huts that populate the South African countryside. They constitute one of the Blyde River Canyon’s top attractions and can be viewed from a lookout point that branches off the R-532.