Unmissable Things to do in Clarens

Just 3.5 hours from Joburg, Clarens is a lovely little town that has plenty for you to eat, see, and hike. We stayed 3 nights for a Valentine’s Day getaway and realized there are so many things to do in Clarens!

A Weekend in Clarens Mini Itinerary

My suggestion is that you leave work a little bit early on Friday (or take a half-day) so that you drive to Clarens in the daylight. Check in your lodging, like the Castle in Clarens, and then have dinner at Treat. Saturday morning, get up early and either have breakfast out or have some toasties prepared for breakfast on the road. Do the Wodehouse Peak Hike (around 4 hours) and then head to town for lunch. End the evening with a braai at your accommodation. Sunday morning, go out for breakfast or have it at your lodging and then do Holkrans hike or the Echo Ravine and Mushroom Rock combo hike. Do the driving Blesbok Loop. Have lunch in town and then drive back to Joburg.

Hiking at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

One of the things I love most about living in South Africa is that many great hiking destinations also have really cute towns around them. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is no exception. Just 20 minutes from Clarens, Golden Gate has several hiking trails to keep you active for a weekend trip without being overwhelming. Do the Wodehouse Peak trail for a full-day hike and then combo some smaller hikes the next day. Read the full Golden Gate Highlands National Park hiking guide.

Nibs in Clarens

There are so many restaurants in Clarens that they don’t all show up on Google Maps (unless you know what you’re looking for)! Many of them are situated along the town square. If nothing strikes your fancy for dinner, there is no need to panic because you’ll likely have a braai at your accommodation. Vegetarians are going to have a little bit of a hard time finding interesting meals in Clarens. The situation is a little better for pescatarians.

On a long weekend or during the summer you may want to make a dinner reservation, just in case. Although we ate early the night we had dinner in town, there was a motorcycle convention (is that the right word..? gathering? meet-up?) going on during the weekend so there were a lot of people around.

Restaurants

Treat— Treat is one of the best restaurants in Clarens. Although we visited for breakfast, the dinner options sound really good. The vibe has a classy, French country house style to it. You can also stay at their guesthouse property, Retreat.

Gosto— We had a nice Portuguese dinner here on our first night in Clarens. I ordered the signature Portuguese prawns, which were good. Though, I wish I got an appetizer as well because it wasn’t that filling. The vibe was nice with a live musician playing guitar and singing. We paid R700 for drinks and our mains, with tip.

Mosaic Pizzeria— There is not much going on in town on a Sunday afternoon, but Mosaic Pizzeria attempts to keep the weekend vibe going with great pizzas. We got two medium veggie pizzas and I was really happy with them! The service staff was attentive and the pizzas came out quickly. They are open every day of the week and are open for dinner.

Roter Hahn— Although we didn’t bother with even checking if this German restaurant has any veggie options, we passed by and noticed they have a shop with imported German products like hot curry sauce, mustard, pickles, beers, and more. Wilhelm was transported back to his youth when he often visited his grandparents in Germany. We even bought a “Mozartkugel,” chocolate that he used to have as a kid! We ate the entire box. Don’t know what that is? I think that’s normal… It’s worth a stop to check out the shop. The food is probably legit just based on the imported ingredients alone.

Sugar & Cinnamon— Stop for some breakfast here on your way into Golden Gate National Park for hiking. We planned to go but they only open at 9am and we wanted to start our hike at 8am to beat the heat. Watch out for the insane potholes that come up after the restaurant.

Cafes and Bakeries

Coffee, Cheese, and Chocolate— Do not miss out on buying some sundried tomato and rosemary bread from here. It is sooo good. The cheese and chocolate are also excellent. We bought 5 truffles for dessert and they were decadent. No doubt that this is high-quality chocolate and serious skill. I also loved all the jams and olives. I am not ashamed to admit that I ate almost the full jar of garlic stuffed olives by myself in one day. They are addictive. Please buy several jars for me if you’re heading down there…

They also serve toasties and I would highly suggest this for a light lunch. More good news is that they are open every day of the week until around 4pm.

The Purple Onion— Part shop and part deli, The Purple Deli is so much fun to wander through. I’m sure you’ll pick up at least one interesting food item. From unique beers (like Mohope), coffee, chips, and jams to biltong, pasta, and chocolate, there is a ton of good food options here. We left with some beer, coffee, and root chips.

The Courtyard Cafe and Bakery—Buy some bakery items, jams, and cute quiches from The Courtyard Cafe. We bought mini quiches for our breakfast. You can also choose the items to eat in the shop.

Highland Coffee Roastery— The smell of roasting coffee beans is usually a calling card for good coffee. Those who like a light cup of coffee will enjoy the Americanos here. Otherwise, you may just want to purchase some beans (that will be ground for you in the shop) and make the coffee at your accommodation to get a stronger flavor.

Di Bus Stop— This quirky shop, adventure center, and cafe is located before you enter Golden Gate National Park. We hung out in the old-school bus while drinking some sparkling water. One of the adventures offered is a 10-minute walk to a waterfall. I can’t seem to find this waterfall on Google Maps so let me know if you go because I wanna see it.

The Clarens Bakery— The bakery is located just as you enter the town and near the adventure center. The bread quality didn’t look as good as that at Coffee, Cheese, and Chocolate but they have a lot more variety.

Breweries and Distilleries

The Platform— Located in the old train station, The Platform is a great spot for a beer garden type feel with a range of beers and food options available. We each had a beer and a light meal. The berry seasonal salad was excellent and the kitchen staff was super nice to prepare a veggie bagel for us that managed to pass my high bagel standards. There was a musician playing and singing as well that really contributed to a lovely afternoon at The Platform.

Clarens Brewery— Perhaps because of the motorcyclists, the brewery was super crowded and so we didn’t bother with eating or drinking here. It looks cool though.

Red Stone Craft Gin— Get gins, pre-mixes, and gin+tonics here to take home or get a drink.

Shops in Clarens

One of the great things to do in Clarens is to just wander in and out of the shops. I’m sharing some of the most unique shops that we visited, but you really can’t go wrong with an afternoon of shopping.

Between the Lines— This small shop has a lovely art collection. It is located right next to The Courtyard Cafe and Brewery. I really like the cute faces on the cups!

Bibliophile— Although this book shop is small, you may be surprised at what you find. I was! I’ve been on the lookout for books by Achmat Dangor and I found a book of his poetry here. There is a small Saturday market on the grounds as well.

The Cherry Company— Who knew there were enough cherry products in Clarens to make a whole store out of them? Not me, that’s for sure. From creams to liquor, get your fill of cherry products here.

NEKED— Okay, so I didn’t go inside the store but it’s the only one that had a line outside the entrance with people waiting to go in. NEKED is a cannabis shop with oils and CBD-infused products.

Where to Spend the Night

You’ll be sure to find something that suits your accommodation needs in Clarens. There are so many options both in town and around it.

The Castle in Clarens— Become the Queen of Clarens (or rather of the grazing cows) in this Rapunzel tower accommodation. Check out my full review here. We stayed in the tower for 3 nights and loved it!

Here are just a few Airbnbs that stood out to me:

• Clarens Escape
• Pear Tree Cottage
• Peach Trees Cottage Clarens
• Clarens Grand Villa: 1 room or the full villa
• Gentle Presence-Heritage Cottage
• Triton off-the-grid Container Home

Walk Around Clarens

Take a stroll around Clarens beyond the town square. Many of the houses are cute and it makes for a leisurely walk.

What did you think of these things to do in Clarens? Let me know what I missed in the comments!