The Gariep Dam, formerly known as the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam is the largest water reservoir in South Africa and is quickly becoming a sought after tourist destination. With several activities in the vicinity, a holiday at the Gariep Dam will never be boring.
Statistics of the Gariep Dam
1. According to the Department of Water Affairs, the Gariep Dam when full has the capacity to hold 5500 million cubic meters of water and the surface of the dam covers 370 square kilometers.
2. The hydro-powerplant through which water is released to the Vanderkloof Dam, consists of four generators each capable of producing 90 MW of electricity.
3. The dam wall is 88 meters high and 914 meters long and approximately 1.73 million cubic meters of concrete was used to construct the dam wall in a gorge at the entrance to the Ruigte Vallei.
The Town Gariepdam / Lake Gariep Village
The small town of Gariepdam, yes it is actually a town, consists mostly of prefabricated houses, which in the past housed the personnel of Water Affairs. Nowadays the houses are privately owned and occupied by people of various ages. Due to the serenity of the area, many pensioners reside in the town and it is not uncommon to see several elderly people strolling through the streets.
With a fuel station, chemist and small general dealer, the town offers the basic necessities required by the permanent residents. There is however no medical doctor in the town, but hopefully the construction of a registered old age home in the town, will change that. No doubt the clean air and surroundings, warm climate and friendly people will attract many investors in the future.
Where to Stay at Gariep Dam/Lake Gariep
Tourists can choose between luxury hotel accommodation, self catering accommodation and camping when visiting Lake Gariep. With various levels of luxury, the accommodation at the Gariep Dam will suit anyone’s particular needs.
A few of the establishments offering accommodation are:
1. de Stijl Hotel;
2. Forever Resorts Gariep;
3. The Glasgow Pont Hotel;
and numerous other B&B’s.
With activities like gliding, sailing, mountain climbing, river rafting, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and many more, it’s no wonder that the popularity of this little town in the Middle Karoo grows by leaps and bounds.
