Cape Winelands
Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands is situated quite close to Cape Town, with the towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl only 40 minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport. Tucked away from the madness of city life, you'll find health spas, golf courses, wine farms, restaurants, museums, nature reserves, business hubs and conference centers. The Cape Winelands is home to Route 62, the world's longest wine route. Take a trip and enjoy the ambiance of life at the foot of a mountain range. You'll taste some of the worlds finest wines and you'll enjoy the experience of a lifetime.
Franschhoek
Franschhoek, set among the vineyards of a lovely valley, is a pleasant little town that draws its prosperity from the surrounding wine and fruit farms. This is the area that gave birth to South Africa's flourishing fruit export industry and it is part of the Four Passes Route.
Franschhoek meaning 'The French corner' was founded more than three centuries ago when around 270 French Hugenots settled in the Berg River Valley. Try and time your visit here to enjoy the French tradition of Bastille Day. It's a food and wine event par excellence. True to its French origins, Franschhoek has several of the country's top restaurants. Boschendal, the historic and gracious manor house and gardens, are world renowned and well worth the visit.
Paarl
Fifty six kilometers from Cape Town, you find Paarl with its Main Road lined with Cape Dutch buildings and historic estates. Paarl lies in the Berg River Valley at the foot of the scenic Du Toits Kloof Mountains.
Attractions include the Afrikaans Language Museum, the monument that soars above Paarl, hot air ballooning from December to March, and loads of animal attractions. There's a snake park, a crocodile farm and the largest butterfly park in South Africa. Or you could roar off to the only Lion Park in the Western Cape - just 20 minutes outside Paarl. For Birdwatchers there are over 140 species in the Paarl area. At the Ikwezi centre, you can buy ethnic rugs and tapestries of the Bhabhathane Weavers. The Paarl wine region is home to Paarl Vinters who have introduced the world's first Red Route. Established in 1996, it has already established a wine route with well sign-posted participants. The district is on the same latitude as Spain and so produces some top quality fortified wine.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa. Every effort has been made to preserve the town's atmosphere of 19th century calm and elegance. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dorp Street with its charming, thatched, white houses with green shutters and elegant fanlights. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare yourself for a leisurely walk around the museums and galleries. Many restaurants housed in historical buildings serve traditional Cape fare. The Stellenbosch Wine Route was the first in South Africa and all the estates along the route are within a 12 km radius of the town. Most are open Monday to Saturday with only a few opening on Sundays. They offer wine tasting and sell directly to the public.
Wellington
This attractive little town, just to the north of Paarl, is the centre of a flourishing wine-producing region and the headquarters of South Africa's dried-fruit industry. If you're passing through, take time out to enjoy the lovely roses in Victoria Park. A number of Cape Dutch manor-houses can be seen in the general vicinity.
The area's most striking feature is the 30 km Bains Kloof Pass, over which the R303 highway makes its way northeastward from town. Motorists en route are treated to spectacular views, and there's a pleasant picnic spot at the summit, after which you descent to the Breede River Valley through a countryside of revines, waterfalls and the dramatic rock formations of the Wolvenskloof (hyena's pass).
Durbanville
For many decades the wine travelers have overlooked this area only 30 km north of the city. It was in fact, one of the original areas to be planted with vines that benefit from cooling breezes off the sea. There are 6 estates on the Route offering a wide variety of wines, from red and white cultivars, to individual cellar blends. The farms themselves are open to visitors for tasting and purchasing of wines.
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