The Edge Mountain Retreat

You stay at The Edge Mountain Retreat on the cliffs above Hogsback, where some cottages perch right at the edge looking over the valley. The property holds twenty acres of gardens planted with azaleas, rhododendrons, and enormous oaks, and the restaurant serves meals made with local produce — meat, vegetables, and bread baked daily. The kitchen offers vegetarian and vegan options, and the bar pours local craft beers and South African wines.

From the cliffside you see the Afromontane forest in the gorge below, often wrapped in cloud. The gardens include a walled rose garden and an eleven-circuit labyrinth based on the design at Chartres Cathedral, with a path that runs seven hundred meters to the center and back. The labyrinth was completed in 2002 and is one of the largest in the world.

The cottages are self-catering, with some sized for couples and others for families. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the bar is a place to sit with a drink and watch the light change over the mountains. Hogsback’s forest walks start at the gate.