Barberton Nature Reserve

The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains hold some of the oldest and best-preserved rocks on the planet, more than three billion years old, which is why a section of them was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2018. The reserve itself protects grassland and forest above the old gold town of Barberton, with the Geotrail, a marked road that explains the geology at each stop, running through it towards the Eswatini border. Expect hiking, mountain biking, birding in the forest patches, and a mining history that is easy to explore in town. Winter is dry and clear; summer brings storms and green slopes.