Clarens · Eastern Free State
The village at your door. The mountains at your window.
Two self-catering apartments above Big Blue Karoo Handmade on Main Street. Solar-powered, quiet behind the gate, and half a block from the square.
- No load shedding
- 1 min to the square
- Secure parking
- Maluti views
The place
Right in the middle of it,
and completely apart from it.
Clarens is a sandstone village of about four thousand people in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains — art galleries, a brewery, more restaurants than a town this size has any right to, and Golden Gate Highlands National Park twenty kilometres up the road.
Our two apartments sit at 279 Main Street, above and behind Big Blue Karoo Handmade — our own Clarens take on Big Blue, the South African original. You can walk out of the gate and be at the village square in a minute. Close it behind you, and you are somewhere quiet with a mountain in front of you. Guests keep writing the same two sentences: it is bigger than the photographs, and they had no idea it would be this private.
Two apartments
Choose your door.
They share a gate, a garden and a view. Everything else — the floor you are on, the number of beds, the kind of fire you light — is different.
Why stay with us
Beauty inside and outside.
The apartments were furnished by an interior designer. You will notice details that shows up in small places: the linen, the glassware, the light in the mornings.
We take sleep seriously
King beds, fine linen, electric blankets for winter and a cotton quilt for summer. Blockout curtains so you can actually lie in.
Load shedding stops at the gate
Solar power with inverter backup, gas stove and geysers, and backup water tanks. Guests routinely say they never noticed a power cut.
Bathrooms you want to linger in
Bath and shower in both apartments, Cape Island amenities and Mungo towels. The Studio's corner bath has its own following.
A patio pointed at the Malutis
Mount Horeb is the backdrop to a sundowner. Watch the range turn pink, then light the braai.
Park once, walk everywhere
A private walkway puts you on Main Street. Restaurants, galleries, the brewery and the square are all on foot.
Private and secure
Your own entrance, and parking behind a motorised gate. Once you are in, nobody else has access.
The evening
Have a braai on your Weber. Watch the clouds. Light a fire. Open a bottle of wine. Take a deep breath — you’re in Clarens.
Guest reviews
A hundred stays, and counting.
If you're going to stay in Clarens, DO NOT miss this place! My wife and I stayed here on the way out to the Drakensberg mountains and chose to stay again on our way back. This is probably the nicest and also best value place we've stayed at... spacious, clean, comfortable, secure, 20 second walk to the main square. It is awesome. The views from the deck are amazing as well. This place has it all, and more! Plus, our host is great. 10/10 would recommend and would stay again!
A beautiful loft with the best view in Clarens! Definitely a luxury getaway as the loft is not affected by load shedding and had a warm heated bed the entire night. Barely a 1 minute walk to all the shops and restaurants - but still so peaceful and private. Thank you to our host and the team
We've been visiting Clarens for more than 10 years and go at least once a year. The Studio was the best accommodation we've ever had, considering all things. Spotless, tasteful decorations and furnishings, everything one needs whether you are self-catering or dining out. Great bed, bathroom and the kitchen has everything you need. The gas fireplace in the living space is a welcome addition for those colder winter days. You are in the center of town, yet, just out of the hustle bustle over a busy weekend. Easy access to everything, no need to use your vehicle once you have arrived. Check-in was easy and our host was always available for questions or suggestions. She is a SUPERHOST! Definitely staying here again in future.
See & do
There is more here than a weekend holds.
Golden Gate is twenty minutes away. The village conservancy starts at the edge of town. And the square is full of galleries, a brewery and a dozen kitchens.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Sandstone buttresses that glow at sunrise, black wildebeest and eland on the grassland, and hikes from an hour to a full day.
Explore
The village itself
More art galleries per street than anywhere in the Free State, plus the brewery, the square, and the sandstone architecture.
Explore
Out on the trails
Hiking in the Clarens Village Conservancy, mountain biking, horse trails, white-water rafting on the Ash River and trout fishing.
Explore
Finding us
279 Main Street,
half a block from the square.
Clarens sits 336 km from Johannesburg, 284 km from Bloemfontein and 389 km from Durban — close enough for a weekend, far enough to feel like somewhere else.
Availability
Come to Clarens.
Stay with us.
Rates start at R675 per person per night sharing. Check live availability on our booking system, or send us a message and we will answer personally.