Some general information:
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The Reserve
The Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve , about 40 km west of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), conserves a number of endemic, rare and threatened plants in the Albany Centre of Endemism and serves as an important environmental education centre to local communities in the Nelson Mandela Metropole and outlying regions.
The reserve is managed by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM) and consists of an area of about 600 ha between the Van Stadens mountain and the coast.
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Directions
The Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve is situated about 40 km west of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), on the old Cape Road (R102) . Take the N2 out of the city towards Cape Town. After 40 km turn left off the N2 to Van Stadens Pass. The entrance to the reserve is on the right hand side, less than a kilometre from the N2. The gates open at 07h30 and close at 18h00 in summer and 17h00 in winter (1 May-31 August). There is no entry fee.
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Flower House
There is a well maintained custom designed 'flower house' with correctly named flowering plant specimens at the reception office to test your knowledge.
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Walks
Various walking trails are available (see map).
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Other Reserves
Other important nature reserves in the NMMM are Aloes Reserve, Cape Recife Nature Reserve, Groendal Wilderness area (Uitenhage), Island Nature Reserve, Maitland Nature Reserve, Sardinia Bay Nature Reserve, St Croix Island Reserve and Swartkops Nature Reserve.
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Contact
For further information contact us at friendsofvanstadens@gmail.com.