4 Best Sights in Swellendam, The Western Cape and Winelands

Covering just 6,880 acres of coastal fynbos, Bontebok National Park is the smallest of South Africa's national parks. Don't expect to see big game here—the park contains no elephants, lions, or rhinos. What you will see are bontebok, graceful white-faced antelope nearly exterminated by hunters in the early 20th century, as well as red hartebeest, Cape grysbok, steenbok, duiker, and the endangered Cape mountain zebra. There are simple chalets in the reserve as well as camping facilities. For day visitors there are a number of short but beautiful walks—seeing wildlife on foot is a wonderful experience.

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.

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.

If you need to stretch your legs, take a hike in the Marloth Nature Reserve. Four walks, ranging from two to six hours, explore some of the mountain gorges. There is also a challenging and beautiful multiday hike that must be booked well in advance. An office at the entrance to the reserve has trail maps and hiking information. If you're doing a day walk, park outside the entrance boom. Although you can stay in the reserve until sunset, the gates close at the time advertised.