The Winelands

Famous for its small historic towns, its dramatic landscape with vines stretching across rolling fields surrounded by imposing mountains, great food and of course fabulous wine, the Cape Winelands region is a definite ‘must’. The lush Winelands of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, are all within an easy hour’s drive from Cape Town.

Sample the wine and even enjoy a picnic out on the lawn in some of the 150 wine estates, many in grand manor houses with beautiful laid-out gardens in picture-perfect settings. The fertile green valleys of the Cape Winelands, nestled between majestic mountain tops, offer not only beautiful scenery and a wide selection of internationally acclaimed wines, but also culture, history and a rich hospitality that makes one feel instantly at home.

Franschhoek, considered to be the prettiest town of the Winelands, is the food and wine capital of South Africa and boasts the largest concentration of acclaimed restaurants in the country. Neighbouring Stellenbosch has the largest number of estates and is known as a ‘place of gables, oaks and wine’.  For a more rural experience, the additional hour or so drive up to Hermon or Tulbagh is well worth it.