Amatola, Amatole or Amathole are a range of densely forested mountains, situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

The escarpment slopes are densely covered in ancient forests of yellowwoods, white stinkwoods, Cape chestnuts and other indigenous trees.

[1] The Amatola Mountains’ geology is characterised by the Beaufort Group (subdivided into the Tarkastad and Adelaide subgroups),[2] which forms part of the Karoo sequence.

The Nguni migrations saw the arrival of the Xhosa herders from the north and the displacement of the Khoisan inhabitants during the mid- to late 17th century CE.

It was into the Amatola mountains’ forested ravines that the Xhosa armies retreated after the setbacks of these wars, so the Cape built the military towns in an effort to secure these borderlands for its farmers.