Pampoen Fontein

Activities

Escape to the mountains for spectacular
scenery in safe, isolated comfort.

Walking & Cycling

We have several paths through our 400 hectare farm. They lead through fynbos covered mountains and invariably reveal magnificent views. The cycling paths vary from rough fire paths to the pass which is tarred but steep. It is possible to walk for several several kilometers on the public roads on the mountain, from the farm to the beginning of the Groot Winterhoek Reserve.

Swimming

In the summer months our guests enjoy either their private pools (Restio, Heron House & Pelargonium) or the communal pool set against a kopje or Temptation Dam. The dam, with its sandy edges and warm shallows, is ideal for children.

Fauna

It is well known that the Cape Floristic Region is one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth, home to over 9,000 species. The Groot Winterhoek Mountains, and especially the Reserve, are considered a vital sanctuary to the preservation of many endemic species, some of which are threatened. The variety is staggering – it is said that on every day of the year a different species starts flowering! Since acquiring Pampoen Fontein in 2000 the owners have cleared aprox. 350 hectares of alien plant species – thousands of man hours are still spent each year removing regrowth. Flower viewing is best from August to November when the bulbs are in flower – but from June to December proteas and pincushions are prolific, while from November to February the ericas are in bloom.

Animals

Rhebok are prolific – often seen grazing around the cottages in the early morning and evening. There’s a colony of dassies in the kopjie near Protea and Pelargonium. Klip Springer are often seen when walking among the rocks and evidence of the elusive mountain leopard is common: we once found a rhebok carcass wedged in a tree near Protea cottage.

Grey Rhebok

Rock Hyrax

Klipspringer

Grysbok

Leopard

Mongoose

Caracal 

Serval  

Wild Cat

Cape Fox

Porcupine

Honey Badger

Bird watching

The area is home to about 100 species including some that are uncommon in Southern Africa like Veraux’s (Black) Eagle, the Cape Sugarbird and the Cape Rock Jumper. Pampoen Fontein Check List:

African Black Duck

African Goshawk

African Hoopoe

African Pipit

African Spoonbill

African Stonechat

Black Harrier

Black Sparrowhawk

Black-headed Heron

Black-shouldered Kite

Blacksmith Lapwing

Blue Crane

Bokmakierie

Cape Batus

Cape Bulbul

Cape Bunting

Cape Canary

Cape Clapper Lark

Cape Crow

Cape Eagle Owl

Cape Long-billed Lark

Cape Robin-Chat

Cape Rock-Thrush

Cape Siskin

Cape Sparrow

Cape Spurfowl

Cape Sugar Bird

Cape Turtle Dove

Cape Wagtail

Cape Weaver

Cape White-eye

Capped Wheatear

Cattle Egret

Chat Flycatcher

Common Fiscal

Common Starling

Egyptian Goose

European Bee-Eater

Familiar Chat

Fiscal Flycatcher

Forktailed Drongo

Freckled Nightjar

Greater Striped Swallow

Grey Heron

Grey-backed Cisticola

Grey-winged Francolin

Hadeda Ibis

Hamerkop

Helmeted Guineafowl

Hottentot Buttonquail

House Sparrow

Jackal Buzzard

Karoo Prinia

Karoo Robin

Karoo Thrush

Knysna Warbler

Laughing Dove

Lesser Double Collared Sunbird

Levaillant’s Cisticola

Little Grebe (Dabchick)

Little Swift

Long-billed Pipit

Malachite Sunbird

Neddicky

Orange-breasted Sunbird

Peregrine Falcon

Pied Crow

Pin-tailed Whydah

Plain-backed Pipit

Red-eyed Dove

Red-knobbed Coot

Red-winged Starling

Reed Cormorant

Rock Dove

Rock Kestral

Rock Martin

Sacred Ibis

Secretary Bird

Sentinel Rock-Thrush

Southern Boubou

Southern Double-collared Sunbird

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Speckled Pigeon

Spotted Eagle-Owl

Spurwing Goose

Steppes Buzzard

Verreaux’s (Black) Eagle

White-breasted Cormorant

White-fronted Plover

White-rumped Swift

Willow Warbler

Yellow-billed Duck

Yellow-billed Kite