Clarens is a small village surrounded by the Maluti mountains in Lesotho and the South African red mountains. Clarens is called the jewel of the free state and it is a very popular tourist attraction. Tourists love the village with it’s many art galleries, curio shops and restaurants.
The small village with a population of 7,000 plus people is popular for weddings, family and birthday celebrations, motorbike rallies, mountain bike races, old car clubs gatherings and marathons.
Clarens is only 3 hours drive from Johannesburg and 4 hours from Durban. It is 17km from the beautiful Golden Gate National park. One and a half hours drive will take you the popular Afri ski resort in Lesotho. A few hours more driving and you reach the Katse dam in Lesotho.
In November tourists stay in Clarens to visit the Cherry festival in Ficksburg. One of the self catering or bed and breakfast accommodations is Eddies self catering or b&b. Tours to the cherry farms allows cherries to be picked from the trees while a tour leader exchange information on the growth and harvesting of cherries. Tourist get the opportunity to taste and buy several items produced from cherries.
Clarens and the surrounding areas are a nature paradise. The Clarens conservancy offers many hiking trails in Clarens. Golden Gate is a hikers dream come true. From Clarens it is only one and a half hours drive to the Drakensberg peaks Mont aux Sources, Sentinel and the Amphitheatre where the chain ladder walk to the Tugela falls challenges the hiker.
Horse riding, abseiling, swimming, white river rafting, Lesotho tours , massages, manicures and facials, hot air ballooning, fishing, archery, quad biking, Eddies self catering or b&b guided walking tours and pigeon shooting are some of the activities that calls tourist back to the Clarens village.
You will love it!