The Western Cape and Winelands
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Western Cape and Winelands - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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21. Bouchard Finlayson
With only 44 acres under vine, Bouchard Finlayson nevertheless thrills critics and wine lovers year after year. Winemaker Peter Finlayson makes good use of the cool sea breeze and unique terroir of the estate to create some fantastic deep-south wines. They're particularly well known for excellent Pinot Noir. You might wish to lay down a few bottles of the much-lauded Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, a velvety and fruity wine.
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Rd., Hermanus, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa028-312–3515Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from R35 -
22. Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum
Housed in a converted church and rectory, the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum has an extensive collection of objects salvaged from the hundreds of ships that have gone down in the stormy seas off the Cape. In addition to the usual cannons and figureheads, the museum displays a surprising array of household articles rescued from the sea, including entire dining-room sets, sideboards, and phonographs. Be sure to visit the buildings out back, which contain old wagons and the first fire engines used in South Africa.
6 Independent St., Bredasdorp, Western Cape, 7280, South Africa028-424–1240Sight Details
Rate Includes: R50, Closed Sat. and Sun. -
23. Cape Agulhas
From Bredasdorp, it's just 39 km (24 miles) through rolling farmland to the tip of the African continent. Although this cape is not nearly as spectacular as Cape Point, it's rather fitting for the end of a wild and wonderful continent. For R35, you can climb the Cape Agulhas lighthouse. Selfies are obligatory at a sign signifying the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
View Tours and ActivitiesLighthouse St., Cape Agulhas, Western Cape, 7285, South Africa -
24. Cape Leopard Trust
Sheep farming in the Cederberg is a precarious business. Not only are the winters harsh, but valuable sheep may be killed by the leopards that live in the mountains. Farmers have resorted to using gin traps to keep their flocks safe, but with devastating consequences for any animals caught in them. Two researchers, Quinton and Nicole Martins, in conjunction with the farmers in the area, were keen to find a solution to this problem. They established the Cape Leopard Trust. The trust aims to track the movement of the predators to see exactly how many cats remain in the Cederberg and to pinpoint which farmers are most at risk. The trust is also working to introduce Anatolian shepherds—dogs that are bred to bond with sheep and act as their protectors against leopards. Several farmers have already had great success with these dogs. Their flocks are safe, and the leopards aren't at risk of dying an agonizing death in a trap. Cederberg Conservancy has subsequently been formed as a successful PPP initiative between landowners and conservation bodies in the area to improve leopard management. The Cape Leopard Trust does a lot of outreach and educational work with local schools and offers outdoor holiday programs for kids—and adults.
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25. Church Street
Much of the town is not much to look at, but the real attraction of Tulbagh is Church Street, parallel to the main Van der Stel Street, where each of the 32 buildings was restored to its original form and subsequently declared a national monument.
Tulbagh, Western Cape, South Africa -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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26. Clanwilliam Museum
Also known as the Ou Tronk Museum, this small collection is based in the former town jail (ou tronk means "old jail"). The display is old-fashioned and not particularly well curated, but still gives a sense of remarkable native son Dr. Christiaan Louis Leipoldt and early settler life in the mountains. The wagons, carts, and rudimentary household equipment speak of much harder times, when pioneers headed into the high country wanting to farm or escape colonial control in the cities.
Main Rd., Clanwilliam, Western Cape, 8135, South Africa027-482–2024Sight Details
Rate Includes: R15, Closed Sun. -
27. Columbine Nature Reserve
Along the coast just south of Paternoster, the 692-acre Columbine Nature Reserve is a great spot for spring wildflowers, coastal fynbos, and succulents. Cormorants and sacred ibis are common here, and the population of the endangered African black oystercatcher is growing each year. Die-hard anglers revel in the abundant fish. There is also a squat lighthouse that you can climb for a small fee. A round-trip through the reserve is 7 km (4 miles). It's very exposed, however, so don't plan to walk in the middle of the day or you'll end up with some serious sunburn. The dusty road has no name, but head south out of town and ask directions along the way. It's impossible to get lost—there aren't that many roads to choose from.
Paternoster, Western Cape, 7381, South Africa022-752–2718Sight Details
Rate Includes: R29 -
28. Creation Wines
About 17 km (11 miles) up Hemel-en-Aarde Road, Creation Wines is a little off the beaten track but well worth the drive. Like other wineries in this region, it is best known for its excellent Pinot Noir. Try the Art of Pinot Noir, with flavors of cherry and plum and a background earthiness. The estate is also known for its pairing options: you can opt for the chocolate and wine pairing or the hour-long wine and canapé pairing. Even the designated driver is catered for with a pairing experience using tea instead of wine. Open for lunch, the restaurant has an ever-changing chalkboard menu.
Hemel-en-Aarde Rd., Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa028-212–1107Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from R10 -
29. Darling Cellars
This large producer makes wines under a number of labels. Look out for the Premium range as well as the award-winning Darling Cellars Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine. Other suggestions include the Reserve Bush Vine Sauvignon Blanc, with notes of cut grass, passion fruit, green figs, traces of guava on the nose, and a zingy aftertaste. Don't miss out on the Sweet Darling range, a selection of white, red, and rosé wines made from local grapes. It's all good, drinkable stuff at very affordable prices.
R315, Darling, Western Cape, 7345, South Africa022-492–2276Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings R30 -
30. De Oude Drostdy Museum
About 4 km (2½ miles) out of town, set on high ground commensurate with its status, is the majestic De Oude Drostdy Museum. Built by architect Louis Thibault in 1804, the structure was badly damaged by fire in 1934 and later by the 1969 earthquake, but it has been carefully restored and is a fine example of neoclassical architecture. The building now houses an impressive collection of antique furniture and artifacts. Look for the gramophone collection and the Dutch grandfather clock that has a painting of Amsterdam harbor painted on its face. There's a small coffee shop inside where you can grab a quick bite.
Winterhoek Rd., Tulbagh, Western Cape, 6820, South Africa023-230–0203Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun. -
31. Die Braak
Some of Stellenbosch's most historic buildings face the Braak, the grassy town square. St. Mary's Church stands at the north end of the Braak. Built in 1852 as an Anglican church, it reflects the growing influence of the English in Stellenbosch. Across Bloem Street from St. Mary's is the Burgher House, built in 1797. Today it houses the offices of Historical Homes in South Africa but you can view the main rooms during office hours. At the southern end of the Braak is the Rhenish Mission Church, erected by the Missionary Society of Stellenbosch in 1823.
Bordered by Bloem, Alexander, and Bird Sts., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa -
32. Diemersfontein Winery
Diemersfontein is best-known for originating what has become one of the most successful styles South Africa has yet created: coffee Pinotage. Pinotage, a South African grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage, can be bitter and is sometimes described as rubbery. Through careful yeast selection and the addition of toasted oak staves during aging, Diemersfontein's Bertus Fourie brought out prominent coffee and chocolate notes in the wine, creating a new and hugely popular style. The estate's other brand, Thokozani, is a Black empowerment project, partly owned by the winery staff.
R301 (Jan van Riebeck Dr.), Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa021-864–5050Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings R40 -
33. Dorp Street
Stellenbosch's most historic avenue is oak-lined Dorp Street. Almost the entire street is a national monument, flanked by lovely restored homes from every period of the town's history. Look out for Voorgelegen at no. 116, a perfectly preserved Georgian home from the 19th century. Perhaps most interesting is La Gratitude at no. 95. This early 18th-century home was built in traditional Cape Dutch town-house style. The all-seeing eye of God molded on its gable was designed as a talisman to watch over the owner's property and keep him and his family safe from harm.
Dorp St. at Papegaai Rd., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa -
34. Drostdy Museum
The Drostdy was built in 1747 by the Dutch East India Company to serve as the residence of the landdrost, the magistrate who presided over the district. The building is furnished in a style that dates back to the late 1700s and early 1800s. A path leads through the Drostdy herb gardens to Mayville, an 1855 middle-class home that blends elements of Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian architecture. Across Swellengrebel Street stand the old jail and an outdoor exhibit of tools used by the town's blacksmiths, wainwrights, coopers, and tanners.
18 Swellengrebel St., Swellendam, Western Cape, 6740, South Africa028-514–1138Sight Details
Rate Includes: R30 -
35. Dutch Reformed Church
Swellendam's Dutch Reformed Church is an imposing white edifice built in 1911 in an eclectic style. The gables are baroque, the windows Gothic, and the steeple a replica of one in Belgium. Surprisingly, all the elements work together wonderfully. Inside is an interesting tiered amphitheater with banks of curving wood pews facing the pulpit and organ.
7 Voortrek St., Swellendam, Western Cape, 6740, South Africa028-514–1225Sight Details
Rate Includes: R20; services free, Closed Sat. -
36. Dutch Reformed Church
Also known as the Strooidakkerk, the old Dutch Reformed Church is a thatch building dating from 1805. The cemetery contains the tombstones of the Malherbe family, who were instrumental in the campaign to gain official recognition for Afrikaans. The church is still active, and you can peek inside.
Main St., Paarl, Western Cape, 7646, South AfricaSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
37. Elim
Little has changed in the last 200 years in the Moravian mission village of Elim, founded in 1824. Simple whitewashed cottages line the few streets. All the residents belong to the Moravian Church. You're welcome to attend services, when just about the whole town turns out in their Sunday best. Elim is the only town in the country that has a monument dedicated to the freeing of the slaves in 1838. It's also home to the country's oldest working clock and biggest wooden waterwheel. There's a tourism office near the waterwheel with a small museum detailing the history of the village. Grab a bite in the tearoom next to the waterwheel. Elim is 36 km (22 miles) west of Bredasdorp.
Off the R319 between Cape Agulhas and Bredasdorp, South Africa -
38. Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary
On the road into McGregor, Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary provides a safe space for neglected and abused donkeys. Kids can meet Alice, Lulu, and the other four-footed residents while you relax at the restaurant, which serves light lunches.
Langeberg Rd., McGregor, Western Cape, 6708, South Africa023-625–1593Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. -
39. Fairview
A visit to Fairview is a treat for the whole family, including kids and adults who aren't fans of wine. Children get a kick out of seeing peacocks roaming the grounds and goats clambering up a spiral staircase into a goat tower. And those goats aren't just for decoration—Fairview produces a superb line of goat cheeses and olive oil, all of which you can sample. Visit the Vineyard Cheesery, the first carbon-neutral cheesery on the African continent, and taste the Roydon Camembert. But don't let Fairview's sideshows color your judgment about the wines. The estate's wines are top-drawer and often surprising. The Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz is excellent, as is the La Beryl Blanc. The winery also makes creative use of the farm's many Rhône varieties. Perhaps it's just because the pun was irresistible, but (as claimed by the label) goats are sent into the vineyard to personally select grapes for the Goats-do-Roam, which is indeed like a young Côtes du Rhône (infuriating French winemakers). If you care to linger, you can have a light meal and freshly baked bread at the Goatshed Restaurant.
WR3, off R101 (Suid-Agter-Paarl Rd.), Paarl, Western Cape, 7646, South Africa021-863–2450Sight Details
Rate Includes: Cheese tastings R25, wine and cheese tastings R50 -
40. Franschhoek Wine Tram
The Wine Tram is the best way to see Franschhoek, allowing you to visit up to six wineries in a day with the freedom to stay for as long as you like at each estate. There are eight different routes to choose from, covering the entire valley. The tram line itself is pretty short, with most routes actually serviced by a trolley bus. A day pass is R270, but all wine tastings are extra. There are also guided tours if you want something more formal.
Main Rd. and Cabriere St., Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa021-300–0338Sight Details
Rate Includes: R270
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