EXPLORING THE EXTENDED CAPE TOWN

Note: This info is forever changing, so before you go please double check that the information is up to date! If you have additional resources you think would benefit the wider community please email us!

Grand West Casino (Goodwood) — bowling, candy shop with American candy!

Bloubergstrand:

On the other side of the Cape- best view of the outline of Table Mountain- very windy so a ton of wind surfers, and beaches, and great places to eat overlooking the ocean

• Kitesurfing — ideal November through March

• Homespun by Matt Restaurant — fine dining modern fusion gastronomy with a local twist— inspired by the chefs time spent in Frankfurt, Zurich and South East Asia

• Blue Peter Hotel Restaurant — with a large lawn that spills out in front of the bistro, you can enjoy beautiful views of Table Mountain and Robben Island 

• El Barrio — Mexican food

Durbanville:

• Klein Roosboom Boutique Winery — wine tasting in cute little personal cave

• Majik Forest — is a green space bordered by Durbanville, Bellville and Welgemoed. The series of connected paths is the perfect way to enjoy a peaceful stroll.

• Canal Walk Mall — a massive shopping mall- you can take a ferry around Intaka Island

• Intaka Island — a wetland and bird sanctuary that you can experience on boat trips, an Indigenous Garden, boating, self guided trails, Educational Lapa, Bird Mountain and Hides

Riebeeck Kasteel:

Small old town known for olive + wine tasting- 1.5 hr. away

• Wine Tastings — Allesverloren Wine Estate, Kloovenberg Wine & Olive Estate, Riebeek Cellars (only one open on Sundays)

• Kasteelberg Country Inn & Bistro — check out the secret garden in the back

• The Olive Boutique — tasting bar

• Olive Festival — biggest olive festival in the country with farm to table experiences and master classes

• A great combo deal for a romantic getaway at Old Oak Manor & Cafe Felix

• Beans About Coffee Roastery — promoting coffee culture

• For more suggestions, click HERE

• recommended Restaurants:

  • Mama Cucina- “some of the best pizza ever”

  • The Royal Hotel — Gin & Tonic happy hour and incredible meals

  • Bar Bar Black Sheep Restaurant — farm to table

  • Eve’s Eatery & Bar — cosy bistro

Winelands:

• Stellenbosch:

  • Spier Wine Farm — you can rent blankets and picnic on the wine farm (there are really lovely locations under the trees), you can also borrow bikes to use from the hotel, have special events where you can pet Cape Foxes. Childcare available

  • Wine Tasting : Vergenoegd Wine Estate — The Duck Parade and Artisanal Picnics, Hidden Valley — chocolate pairing, Ernie Els Wines, Asara Wine Estate, Annadale Wines, Blaauwklippen — wine + spirits tasting, Somerbosch Wines — wine-infused ice cream for R40, Lanzerac Wine Estate, Clos Malverne — weekly specials on their website, Skilpadvlei Wine Estate — kid friendly, Warwick Wine Estate — kid friendly and have a splash pool for kids, Jordan Wine Estate — known for their white wine and chameleons, Vredenheim Wildlife & Winery — cat park (lions + cheetahs) and is kid friendly, Anura Vineyards — wine, cheese, breads and meats, Bellevue Wine Estate — plus at their restaurant, kids can make their own pizza

  • Mangwanani Spa — best deal on Hyperli- need to call to book

  • Polkadraai Farm Stall — Tractor rides, pony rides, mini golf, and face painting, strawberry picking (in season), pen year round from 9 am-5 pm

  • Giraffe House Wildlife Awareness Center — about an hour outside the city, has lots of animals and isn’t expensive

  • Root44 Market — craft foods, cider & shopping open every Saturday and Sunday

  • Van Ryn’s Distillery and Brandy Cellar — brandy tasting, coffee and chocolate pairing with pot still brandies, Belgian chocolate, and Honduran coffee

  • Schoon de Companje — croissant & coffee bar

  • Wingerd Vista Bistro — sculpture garden, restaurant and specialty garden

  • Stellenbosch University — Botanical Gardens

  • Hillcrest Berries Orchards — berry farm and restaurant

  • Butterfly World Zoo — not only a butterfly park, but indeed a sanctuary for exotic animals, a bird sanctuary, a place where reptiles gets the highly specialised care 

  • Jonkershoek — an incredible nature reserve for hiking, swimming or mountain biking

• Franschoek:

  • Wine Tram — hop on and off through the vineyards stops at the Huguenot Museum, Haute Cabrière, Dieu Donnè, Chamonix, Rickety Bridge and Grande Provence

  • Wine Estates :

    • La Motte Wine Estate — wine tasting, restaurant, museum and a hiking trail while hosting events. They also have on site a Spiritual Retreat Centre

    • Boschendal Wine Estate — cute wine farm estate with events and workshops, wine tastings + pairings, spa, a tented camp, picnics and kids area. Friday Night Market

    • Môreson Estate — bread and wine, orchid nursery, delicious champagne, great cheese boards and a Gin Palace

  • Big Dog Café — must try their affogatos (coffee poured over their house-made tonka-bean ice cream)

  • Franschoek Craft Market — Saturdays from 9 am - 3 pm

• Paarl:

  • Spice Route Destination — various cottages with tastings- from DeVilliers Chocolate (try their spiced drinking chocolate), ice cream, coffee, wine, etc.

  • Fairview Farm — sign up for a Master Tasting HERE. Not open on Saturdays- known for wine and their cheeses, they also have a goat tower

  • Babylonstoren — have a Hamman (i.e. Turkish spa), a massive magical garden, and hedgehogs that you can hold (ask at the front desk)

  • KWV Wine Emporium — biltong, nuts and chocolate wine pairings

  • Val de Vie — wine tastings and several restaurants

  • Drakensein Lion Park — a sanctuary for captive born predators- go during feeding times

  • Le Bonheur Reptiles & Adventures — crocodile pond tours and cage diving

  • Limietberg Nature Reserve — family friendly camping spot with hikes, bouldering + natural springs to swim in and rock art from the San and Khoi

  • Cosecha Restaurant — Latin food

Cederberg:

Great area for camping, hiking and seeing rock art

Somerset West:

• Wine Estates : Cavalli Wine Estate — you can take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the vineyard, Lourensford Wine Estate — try the iced honey liquor, Vergelegen Wine Estate — kid friendly, giant Camphor Trees and fine dining

• Cheetah Outreach — Preservation center for cheetahs & other predators, with education programs & animal encounters

• Helderberg Nature Reserve — go on nature walks to experience the fauna and flora. A great spot for a picnic or to attend the events they host

• Blue Rock Cable — waterskiing, wave boarding, ziplining, paintball, swim or diving

• Cape Canopy Tours — ziplining 13 mountain-top platforms and 11 slides

• recommended Restaurants:

  • Pajamas & Jam Eatery — an unforgettable brunch spot, costume and baked goods store

  • 95 at Morgenster Estate — Italian at a beautiful outdoor venue

  • Schoon de Companje — try their brioche French toast with roasted apple, brie, buchu syrup and clotted cream

  • Garden Cafe — cute little shipping container cafe 

  • Señor Onion Mexican Deli — must try fajitas and burritos

  • The Hickory Shack — proper American smokehouse barbeque

• Recommended Airbnb — Roxanne’s Place

Hermanus:

• Whale Watching (August - November)

• Hermanus Wildflower Festival (September)

• Fernkloof Nature Reserve — there is no other place on earth where so many different species can be seen growing in such close proximity. Home to the Hermanus Botanical Society

• Famous Cliff Path Walk + Gearings’s Point — great for a view and Whale Watching in season

• Romantiques — antique shopping

• Bientang’s Cave Restaurant & Wine Bar — seafood restaurant set in a cave, with terraces on rocks above the ocean, known for whale watching

• Benguela Cove Wine Estate — wine tasting on a lagoon at sunset, sculpture park

• recommended Restaurant:

  • Ficks Resturant — family and pet friendly, this is the perfect spot for a gorgeous view

  • Char’d Grill & Wine Bar — their ribs are the best in South Africa

  • Die Plaaskombius Farm Stall — family friendly, great lunch spot when whale watching

The Garden Route:

• Itineraries Ideas from Stingy Nomads or The Whole World is a Playground or Garden Route Adventure Guide

• Natures Valley — a peaceful valley in the heart of the Tsitsikamma forest, the site of monkey ropes, old man’s beard dangling from trees, a beautiful lagoon surrounded by mountains and forest, and miles of unspoilt white beaches - arguably the most beautiful part of this coastline.

• Kaaimans River Bridge:

  • Also in the area — details, maps and permits available at the National Parks Board offices just east of Wilderness for the following hikes:

    • Half-Collared Kingfisher Hiking Trail — a lovely 3 hour hiking trail along a boardwalk up the banks of the Touw River nearby

    • Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Trail — another trail in this area worth walking which takes about 2 hours

  • Big Tree at Woodville — beautiful forest walk in Wilderness

• Betty’s Bay — a small holiday town with penguins. Don’t miss out on Harold Porter Botanical Gardens — waterfalls, colourful fynbos and a lush indigenous forest

• Gansbaai — shark cage diving with The White House 

• Knysna — small beautiful town with ostrich riding, beaches, kayaking, and whale watching

  • Knysna Oyster Festival

  • Circles in a Forest (Kringe in die Bos) Trail — moss-covered woods that have observed wild elephant herds moving between them for hundreds of years

  • Turbine Boutique Hotel & Spa — book a spa treatment

  • Ile de Pain (in the centre of Thesen Island)- a French Cafe where everything is delicious — from their coffee, hot chocolate, pastries and food

  • Knysna Elephant Park — first facility in South Africa to house and care for orphaned African elephants, you can walk amongst elephants and zebras

• George —

  • Tsitsikama National Park

  • Forest Zip Lining — Zipline Tour, Tsitsikama Canopy Tour or Stromsrivier

  • Hike the suspension bridge, paddle through the gorges— for more adventures

• Plettenberg Bay — Kay and Monty Vineyards — wonderful cheese boards, kayak beside dolphins or go paragliding

• Witsand — Breede River Resort and Fishing Lounge — Fishing, River Rafting (just google it)

• Jeffrey’s Bay — Nina’s Real Food (everything is good with a massive menu), Brewhaha Craft Beer (run by an American / South African couple with incredible burgers and pulled pork)

Elgin:

• Cider Tasting Route :

• Paul Culver Estate — Cluver and Jack ciders at De Rust Estate

• Terra Madrea — they rarely have tastings, so call ahead — +27 021 848 9626

• Everson’s Cider (Peregrine Farmstall — collection of containers with different food stalls

• Elgin Railway Station Market — old cider warehouse, converted into a steampunk market with local vendors and live music, have different craft cider + beers

• Old Mac Daddy — Airstreams, glamping or villas to rent, with a lake, zorbing, paddle boarding, spa, tough mudder

• Experience the Wildflowers — Elgin Open Gardens or Blossom Weekend (September)

Caledon:

• Gabrielskloof — a must stop restaurant on the way, farm to table glory

• Caledon Hot Springs — within Caledon Casino + Hotel is an oasis of mineral ponds, Zen gardens, floatation pools and saunas. The hotel often has package deals, but the rooms and restaurant aren’t that nice- so it would be better to stay at a local Airbnb. They also offer massage packages. To book, click HERE

• Victoria Wildflower Garden & Reserve — around September its especially spectacular

• Recommended Airbnb — Jané’s Place (fantastic for up to eight people!)

Greyton & Genadendal:

Quaint artist town

• Greyton Nature Reserve & Waterfall — drive up and see beauty! 

• Genadendal (a town over)- has the Moravian Missions Museum (first ever missions station- great historical spot)

• Farm Animal Sanctuary

Wellington — The Alpaca Loom — petting zoo, coffee shop and weaving studio, James Sedgwick Whisky Distillery (Friday & Saturday whiskey pairings-- must book in advance through webtickets)

Worcester:

• YWAM Worcester — swimming pool, mini golf, volleyball, walk around the dam

• Karoo Desert Botanical Gardens — wildflowers in bloom, have a tortoise

• Take a hike

• Olive Tasting Route — Olivae Olive Estate

• Wine Route — Du Toitskloof Wine Cellar, Badsberg Wine Cellar — they also host events throughout the year, Nuy on the Hill, New Cape Wines or Eagle’s Cliff, Brandvlei Cellar, Cilmor Wines, Stettyn Cellar, KWV Wine Emporium — book tasting experiences, Slanghoek Wine Cellar, Jasons Hill Private Cellar, Overhex Winery — restaurant and great kids area

• Other Tastings — KWV House of Fire— Brandy tasting, Mountain Brewing Co. (at Klipbokkop Mountain Reserve)

• Pure Boland Farmers Market — Groen Stoor — first Saturday of the month (9-1 pm), the earlier you go, the better

• Mountain Biking — Conradie Penhill, De Wet Wine Cellar, Leipzig Country House

• Klipbokkop Mountain Reserve — 4x4 Tours and brewery at a conference center

• Worcester Art Museum — demonstrations on rolling tobacco, bread baking, soap making, candle making, coffee making, metal work and donkey cart rides. They also host events

• Horseback Riding

• Trout Fly Fishing

• Goudini Spa Natural Spring

• Du Kloof Lodge — on-site farm stall, as well as all the outdoor pursuits the daylight will allow you: invigorating swims in the river, mountain hikes, bird watching and mountaineering spots and places to braai

• recommended Restaurants:

  • Fowler’s Grill — where to find a great steak

  • Olivae Olive Estate — a la Carte menu is Mediterranean influenced, with handmade pizzas, the legendary spitbraai buffet on Sundays are a must

  • Damas Restaurant — Wednesday 6 Pm BOGO burger or chicken fillet 

  • Bosjes Estate — expensive but lovely restaurant with a beautiful porcelain Tree of Life mural, tea garden, gardens to walk around, hikes nearby, they host events as well

  • Saggy Stone Brewery & Restaurant — great pizza and beer- beautiful remote location

• Breakfast + Snacks:

  • Blindiana Barista — South Africa’s first-ever, blind coffee shop and museum

  • Hugo Cafe & Roastery

  • Teacup — nice spot with a little garden

Robertson — known as the valley of wine and roses

• Bourbon Street is a Wine and Dine experience

• Learn to blend wine at Excelsior Wine Estate and create your own bottle. Spend warm afternoons pairing wine with chocolate and cheese at well-known wineries such as Springfield Estate, Van Loveren Family Cellar, and the Rooiberg Wine Cellars. Or head to the Graham Beck Robertson Estate for divine bubbles.

• Visit Owl’s Rest Olive and Lavender Farm for some delightful lavender products and try a range of tantalising olive products at Marbrin Olive Farm.

Ceres Valley :

• Klondyke Cherry Farm — Nov-Dec is cherry picking season

• Go camping — Petervale Guest Farm, Fairview Mountain Cottages, google for more!

• Ceres Rail Company — sum pop a steam train riding past orchards + snow in season

• Loxtonia Cider Farm — cider tastings- email beforehand if they are available

• Fynbos Guest Farm and Animal Sanctuary - an incredible place for a short trip or retreat with self catering cottages or camping, a prayer labyrinth, meditation room and various animals that can be fed and viewed - day trips are also an option

• Montagu Village Market — find food, antique tools and vintage bric-a-brac over the weekend

• McGregor — grappa distillery where you can do tastings plus accommodation

• Beaverlac — an amazing campsite with waterfalls, a great spot for a silent retreat

• Tulbagh — Raptor Rise — a working olive and cattle farm with several well-appointed accommodation options for discerning visitors, great for a getaway

• Kogelberg Nature Reserve — with about 1600 plant species, this nature reserve contains a floral diversity per unit area that is greater than anywhere else in the world

• Aquila Safari Natural Reserve Park (R46 Touws River)- see the Big 5, accommodation, meals, spa treatments

• Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve — the most significant stretch of indigenous afromontane forest left in the South-Western Cape

• Cango Caves — one of the worlds great natural wonders, sculptured by nature through the ages - fascinating limestone formations in a wide variety of colours

• Romansrivier — The Hoogwater Cottage - Every year between January and February, the Hoogwater Cottage opens their fig orchard to the public. During this time they run a pop up deli, offering coffee, homemade croissants, and cheese boards. There’s also a playground for the kids to have fun while you enjoy your figs in the shade.

• Plettenberg Bay: Robberg Nature Reserve — a hike with a BEAUTIFUL view of the ocean on all sides of you

• Grootvadersbosch Conservancy — tucked away in the mountains between Swellendam and Heidelberg is a reserve which is home to a forest of towering redwood trees, the tallest species of tree in the world.

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