Trifter

Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world (though some dispute this) and the largest green canyon on planet earth.

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The Arizona Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia are larger than Blyde River Canyon but their desert climates do not support the lush vegetation found in Blyde River Canyon.

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The canyon is located in the Province of Mpumalanga, South Africa where it cuts through the Drakensberg Mountains for almost 20 miles. The canyon averages some 2,500 feet in depth.

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Blyde River Canyon is the most spectacular stretch of The Panorama Route which takes visitors through the Drakensberg Escarpment in South Africa.

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The canyon begins at Bourke’s Luck Potholes where the Treur River meets the Blyde River and the combined swirling waters formed the fascinating abstractly carved rock features over thousands of years.

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“God’s Window” in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Preserve offers fantastic views

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and was the site where bushman Xi throws the coca-cola bottle over the edge of the world near the end of the funny movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy”.

Image via Wikipedia

In the film, low lying cloud cover blocks the views below “God’s Window” and convinces Xi he is at the end of the world and can get rid of the coke bottle that caused his tribe so much trouble after it fell out of an airplane near their village.

Image via Wikipedia (Xi ready to throw coke bottle over the edge of the world)

Also in the canyon preserve is The Pinnacle. A 100 foot high free standing quartzite formation standing above the lush canyon below.

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The Three Rondavels viewpoint offers spectacular views of three huge rock spirals that resemble traditional African huts called rondavels, hence the name. Just behind the Three Rondavels is the highest peak of the Blyde River Canyon, Mariepskop at 6,378 feet.

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Where the Ohrigstad River joins the Blyde River near the mouth of the canyon engineers have built the Blydepoort Dam. Boat trips are available near the dam that take visitors through the canyon offering different views than from above, including the 660 foot high Kadishi Tufa waterfall also known as the “Weeping Face of Nature”.

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Hippos and crocodiles live in the canyon and all the primate species native to South Africa can be found in the Blyde River Canyon area as well as a large number of bird species that thrive in the lush conditions.

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Blyde River Canyon is not only one of the greatest sights to behold in South Africa but it is truly one of the wonders of the world.

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For more great sites in Southern Africa please see Magnificent Animals of Etosha National Park and Namib Desert: A Hauntingly Beautiful Place.