About 110 km south of Springbok, the chief town of the Namaqualand district, lies the small agricultural centre, Garies. It is located at the foot of the Kamiesberg, 46 km south of Kamieskroon and 146 km northwest of Vanrhynsdorp. The town which is situated in South Africas Northern Cape province sprang up in 1845 on land given to the Dutch Reformed Church by the owner of the farm Goedeverwagting. Originally named after the farm, its present name, a Khoisan word meaning couch-grass, was given it by former Cape premier John X Merriman. It currently has a population of approximately 1500.
The Letterklip provincial heritage site is situated just west of town. Letterklip, which means letter stone, comprises several enormous, megalithic boulders carrying the names of early Namakwa travellers.