Cape Winelands
Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. An hour out and a different landscape, with towns worth walking as much as the farms.
Guides to this part of the city
Wine estates
Babylonstoren
A 1692 Cape Dutch working farm transformed into a world-class destination. Explore the famous eight-acre edible garden, taste estate wines, and dine…
Vergelegen Wine Estate
On the Helderberg slopes in Somerset West, Vergelegen (est. 1700) spans over 3,000 hectares. It pairs award-winning Bordeaux-style wines with celebrated gardens,…
Lanzerac Wine Estate
At the foot of the Jonkershoek Mountains, historic Lanzerac (est. 1692) is the birthplace of the world’s first bottled Pinotage. Today it…
La Motte
A historic Franschhoek estate dating to 1695, La Motte blends French Huguenot heritage with award-winning wines, contemporary South African cuisine, an artisan…
Delaire Graff
Perched on the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Delaire Graff blends acclaimed wines with fine dining, African art and a luxury…
Tokara Wine Estate
A premier Stellenbosch estate on the Helshoogte Pass, Tokara pairs internationally acclaimed wines with award-winning olive oil, fine dining and contemporary art,…
Boschendal
In the Franschhoek Valley, Boschendal (est. 1685) blends historic Cape Dutch architecture with award-winning wines, seasonal picnics, farm-to-table dining and luxury stays.…
Spier Wine Farm
Just outside Stellenbosch, Spier combines three centuries of Cape Dutch heritage with award-winning wines, chocolate pairings, art and picnics. Its regenerative farming…
Walking
La Motte Hiking Trail
La Motte’s hiking trail is a five-kilometre circular route on the estate, of which about two kilometres is trail proper. Allow two…
Jonkershoek Panorama Circuit
The Panorama Circuit is the big day in Jonkershoek. It climbs from the Eerste River to Bergriviernek, contours high across the Dwarsberg…
Dirtopia Hiking Loop, Muratie
The Dirtopia Trail Centre sits in the Ansela building on Muratie, off Knorhoek Road on the Simonsberg side of the R44. Its…
Swartboskloof to Sosyskloof
Sosyskloof is the easy loop in Jonkershoek, and it begins on exactly the same climb as the 18 kilometre Swartboskloof Trail. Where…
Tweede Waterval (Second Waterfall)
Tweede Waterval is the gentlest of the four official trails in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. The path leaves the hairpin bend on the…
Perdekop Trail
The Perdekop Trail is the big day at Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve above Franschhoek: a thirteen-kilometre circuit to the reserve’s high point…
Golf
De Zalze Golf Club
De Zalze is a Peter Matkovich design laid out across three farms on the edge of Stellenbosch, with fairways running between vineyards,…
Hazendal Golf
Hazendal Golf is the shortest full round in this collection and the only one where every hole is a par 3. Eighteen…
Stellenbosch Golf Club
Stellenbosch Golf Club is, by its own account, the fourth oldest club in South Africa: a parkland layout at the foot of…
Erinvale Golf Club
Erinvale is a Gary Player design that opened in 1995 at the foot of the Helderberg in Somerset West, about thirty minutes…
Paarl Golf Club
Paarl Golf Club has twenty-seven holes on Boschenmeer Golf and Country Estate in the Paarl and Franschhoek valley, framed by mountains, rivers…
Pearl Valley Golf Course
Pearl Valley is a Nicklaus Design course in the Paarl and Franschhoek valley off the N1 north of Cape Town, ringed by…
Things to do
Wellington Wine Walk
The Wellington Wine Walk is a guided walking experience rather than a marked public trail. Accredited guides lead small groups between historic…
Franschhoek Wine Tram
The Wine Tram is how most visitors move between Franschhoek wine estates without driving. You choose one of five colour lines and…
Hot Air Ballooning
A sunrise flight over the Cape Winelands, lifting off from farmland as the light comes up. Flights go only when the air…
Cape Winelands Wine Tour
A driver lets you enjoy the tastings without worrying about the road home. Send us your dates, your group size and any…
Mountain biking
Bottelary Yellow Loop from Brenaissance
A mapped version of Bottelary Hills’ official Yellow Loop starting from Brenaissance, one of the Conservancy’s recognised access points. The route heads…
The Ibex
One of MTO Jonkershoek’s three featured routes, The Ibex combines a substantial valley climb with contour riding and a sequence of flowing…
Helderberg Farm Black Section
Helderberg Farm’s most demanding marked MTB route, combining a compact 12 km loop with substantial climbing and Black-grade riding. Green, Blue and…
Bovenland Red
Bovenland Red is a 12 km circular route in the Paarl Trails network, starting and finishing at Spice Route Destination. Paarl Trails…
The ABC Trail
A primary-confirmed Green route at Muratie built from three sections: A is 3.7 km to Gilloolys, C returns 2.7 km, and the…
More about this area
Everything else in Cape Winelands
DeMorgenzon Wine Estate
Overview DeMorgenzon occupies a high, cool pocket of the Stellenbosch Kloof, where south-facing vineyard slopes rise from around 200 to almost 400 metres above sea level. The 90-hectare property combines 45 hectares of precision vineyards with a richly planted garden and broad views towards False Bay and Cape Town. The estate is especially celebrated for […]
Muratie Wine Estate
Overview Muratie Wine Estate lies in the Knorhoek Valley beneath the Simonsberg, around nine kilometres from central Stellenbosch. Ancient oaks, whitewashed buildings, old concrete fermenters and a famously cobwebbed tasting room give the estate an atmosphere quite unlike the polished modern cellars elsewhere in the Winelands. Every wine is connected to a person in Muratie’s […]
Alto Wine Estate
Overview Alto Wine Estate is set on the warm northern slopes of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch’s celebrated Golden Triangle. For more than a century, the estate has built its reputation around structured, age-worthy red wines led by Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and the iconic Alto Rouge. While the historic estate undergoes extensive renovations, Alto’s tasting room […]
Hartenberg Wine Estate
Overview Hartenberg Wine Estate occupies a sheltered valley on the north-eastern slopes of the Bottelary Hills outside Stellenbosch. It is known for site-driven Shiraz, acclaimed Chardonnay and a long commitment to restoring the health of its land. A visit combines guided tastings, an underground cellar, farm-style lunches and seasonal picnics. Wetlands, fynbos gardens and grazing […]
Warwick Wine Estate
Overview Warwick Wine Estate sits on the foothills and mid-slopes of the Simonsberg, between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts. The estate combines a strong Cabernet tradition with generous outdoor hospitality. Visitors come for themed wine tastings, seasonal picnics and lunches, family-friendly lawns and summer Vineyard Safaris. The flagship Trilogy remains one of the best-known Bordeaux-style blends in […]
Meerlust Wine Estate
Overview Meerlust Wine Estate lies close to False Bay on the southern side of Stellenbosch, where cooling sea breezes and evening mists shape one of South Africa’s most historic estate-wine portfolios. The property is internationally associated with Rubicon, its benchmark Bordeaux-style blend. The focused range also includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all […]
Reyneke Wines
Overview Reyneke Wines occupies elevated vineyards in the Polkadraai Hills outside Stellenbosch, overlooking False Bay from decomposed granite slopes. The family-run farm is one of South Africa’s best-known biodynamic producers. Its organic, vegan-friendly wines are shaped by regenerative farming, minimal intervention and a determination to express the character of each vineyard. Biodynamic Farming Reyneke treats […]
Zorgvliet Wine Estate
Overview Zorgvliet Wine Estate sits in the dramatic Banghoek Valley, seven kilometres outside Stellenbosch, surrounded by vineyards and the Simonsberg and Drakenstein mountains. The historic estate combines cool-climate Bordeaux varieties with a restored Cape Dutch manor house, several dining options, family-friendly picnics and a country lodge. History The manor house dates to 1692 and now […]
Saxenburg Wine Estate
Overview Saxenburg Wine Estate lies in the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch, where elevated vineyards look towards Table Mountain and False Bay. Officially proclaimed in 1693, the estate is one of South Africa’s oldest farms. Today it is a family-run winery known above all for Syrah, supported by a broad collection of expressive red and white […]
Kleine Zalze Wine Estate
Overview Kleine Zalze Wine Estate lies on the R44 south of Stellenbosch, surrounded by vineyards, mature trees and mountain views. The estate is known for a broad, highly regarded portfolio led by Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cap Classique. Its tasting centre and restaurant make it an easy destination for an unhurried wine-and-food visit. Vineyards […]