15 Best Sights in The Western Cape and Winelands, South Africa

Although the farm was established as early as 1693, current owners Johnny and Ginny Grieve have done some serious reorganizing in the vineyards and built a state-of-the-art cellar that's dug into a dry riverbed. Avondale started producing wines in 1999, making it one of the newer kids on the block. The winery hit the ground running, and its wines win one award after another. The reds are especially good, and the intense Paarl summers result in full-bodied grapes that deliver knockout flavors. Great care is taken to maintain top-quality soil, and no pesticides or herbicides are used. If you're interested in the wine-making process, book an Eco Wine Safari, a 2½ hour tour that starts with a glass of bubbly, takes a tractor ride into the vineyards (with tastings among the vines) and ends in the state-of-the-art gravity-flow cellar, constructed three stories underground. There are also gentle hikes and a bike track, or if you're looking for something less energetic, book a table at the fabulous Faber restaurant.

With a history that dates back three centuries, this lovely estate is one of the Cape's major attractions. Cradled between the Simonsberg and Groot Drakenstein mountains at the base of Helshoogte Pass, Boschendal runs one of the most pleasant wine tastings in the region: on warm days you sit outside at wrought-iron tables under a spreading oak. In 1981, Boschendal was the first to pioneer a Blanc de Noir, a pink wine made in a white-wine style from black grapes. The Boschendal Blanc de Noir remains one of the best-selling wines of this style. The Werf Restaurant serves excellent country-style cuisine, and picnic baskets are available to enjoy on the lawns. Hour-long vineyard tours and cellar tours are available, as well as a range of wine and food pairings; be sure to book ahead. You can also take a horse ride through the vines, and there's a jungle gym and hands-on farm activities for kids.

Clanwilliam is close to the northern edge of the Cederberg, a mountain range known for its San rock paintings, its emblematic rock formations, and, once upon a time, its cedars. Most of the ancient cedars have been cut down, but a few specimens still survive in the more remote regions. The Cederberg is a hiking paradise—a wild, largely unspoiled area where you can disappear from civilization for days at a time. About 172,900 acres of this mountain range constitute what has been declared the Cederberg Wilderness Area. Try to visit in spring when the area is carpeted in orange, yellow, and white flowers. You can get hiking permits from Cape Nature or the local tourism offices in Clanwilliam or Citrusdal. Be sure to tell somebody if you are planning to hike in the area, and never go alone.

A scenic dirt road that heads south out of town, past the tourism bureau and museum, winds for about 30 km (18 miles) into the Cederberg to Algeria, a Cape Nature campsite with self-catering cottages and tent sites set in an idyllic valley. Algeria is the starting point for several excellent hikes into the Cederberg. The short, one-hour hike to a waterfall is great, but it's worth going into the mountains for a day or two. Permits for all hikes can be booked through CapeNature or from one of the local farms, many of which have simple, self-catering cottages on their land.

The Cederberg mountain range might be the last place you'd expect to find a vineyard, but that's what makes Cederberg Private Cellar so unusual. When old man Nieuwoudt, known to everyone as "Oom Pollie," planted the first vines in 1973, all his sheep-farming neighbors thought he had gone mad. Today, however, winemaker David Nieuwoudt and his small team are laughing all the way to the awards ceremonies. At an altitude of around 3,300 feet, this is the highest vineyard in the Western Cape, and consequently is almost completely disease-free.  All the wines are excellent; in fact, you'll struggle to see the labels for all the wine accolades pasted on the bottles. Set aside at least an hour to sip through the wines in the garden, with views of the surrounding mountains.

It spans less than 25 km (15½ miles), but it is without question one of the most beautiful stretches of road in South Africa. Clarence Drive—less poetically known as the R44—begins as you leave Gordon's Bay headed south. Sandwiched between ocean and mountain, the road winds around more than 70 bends on its way to the hamlet of Rooi Els. There are plenty of places to pull over, though, and you'll make good use of them because Clarence Drive is a photographer's dream. On a clear day you'll see right across False Bay all the way to Cape Point. Keep an eye out for baboons when you're driving; they're usually in no great hurry when crossing the road.

Covering 88,900 acres of isolated coastal terrain as well as the undersea world below the waves, this reserve deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Massive sand dunes, rolling mountains, and rare lowland fynbos are home to eland, bontebok, and Cape mountain zebra, as well as more than 250 species of birds. (Keep an eye out for the blue crane, South Africa’s national bird.) Though the reserve is only three hours from Cape Town, it feels a world away. 

This is a fantastic place to watch whales from the shore—not quite as easy as in Hermanus, but much less crowded. You can also hike the enormously popular Whale Trail, which runs through the reserve. A shuttle service takes your bags to each new stop, so all you have to carry is a small day pack and a water bottle between overnight stops. Book up to a year in advance to enjoy the Whale Trail, or try to snag a last-minute cancellation. Self-catering cottages sleep up to four people and range from basic to fully equipped.

You can still enjoy De Hoop without doing the Whale Trail; there are delightful day hikes, beautiful and largely unpeopled beaches and excellent bird-watching, including a viewing platform where you can lie down and watch Cape vultures swooping overhead.

Access is via a dirt road between Bredasdorp and Malgas. From Bredasdorp take the R319 to Swellendam. At about 6 km (4 miles) turn right at the sign posted De Hoop/Malgas/Infanta. Follow the road for 35 km (21.2 miles) until you see the sign for the reserve. Malgas is home to the last hand-drawn car ferry in the country. It's fascinating to watch the technique, as the ferry operators "walk" the ferry across the river on a huge cable, leaning into their harnesses.

The Wine Tram is the best way to see Franschhoek, allowing you to visit up to six wineries in a day with the freedom to stay for as long as you like at each estate. There are five different hop-on-hop-off routes to choose from, covering the entire valley. The tram line itself is pretty short, with most routes actually serviced by a trolley bus. A day pass is R300, but all wine tastings are extra. There are also guided tours if you want something more formal.

Who needs French champagne when you have top-class South African Méthode Cap Classique at very affordable prices? Graham Beck Wines, on the road between Worcester and Robertson, produces some very sophisticated wines. Cellarmaster Pieter Ferreira is known as Mr. Bubbles for his wonderful sparkling wines, which are so popular that the farm no longer produces any still wines. The iconic Cap Classique flagship, Cuvée Clive, is the undisputed favorite in the range. As well as a standard tasting, you can try bubbly paired with gourmet popcorn and most unusually, olive oil.

This 440-acre nature reserve is in the heart of the coastal fynbos, where the Cape floral kingdom is at its richest. The profusion of plants supports 96 species of birds and a wide range of small mammals, including troops of chacma baboons. You couldn't ask for a more fantastic setting, cradled between the Atlantic and the towering peaks of the 3,000-foot Kogelberg Range. Walking trails wind through the reserve and into the mountains via Disa and Leopard's kloofs, which echo with the sound of waterfalls. Back at the main buildings, a pleasant restaurant serves light meals. Book at least two weeks in advance for a guided tour to take you around the gardens.

At the end of Stellenbosch Kloof Road, this meticulous winery, flanked by the Bottelary hills, overlooks rolling vineyards and jagged mountains. Since the first vintage in 1993, the winery has established a formidable reputation. The Sauvignon Blanc makes for good summer drinking; the dense but fruity Nine Yards Chardonnay is extremely popular and has regulars stocking up on cases at a time. Another wine to try is the Cobblers Hill Bordeaux blend. The wine estate has an excellent restaurant, as well as a bakery where you can enjoy breakfast or a light lunch. Cellar tours are available by appointment; book at least a day ahead.

If you love culture and history, you'll love !Khwa ttu, a nature reserve and education center on a former wheat farm. This is a rare opportunity to learn about the San people and their history. You can do a self-guided tour, but it makes sense to pay extra and take one of the themed tours with a knowledgeable guide. Options include tea tasting, game drives, and a tour that teaches about San tracking skills. A laid-back restaurant serves local food and wine, and simple accommodations are available. Visitors can take part in numerous outdoor activities, including hiking and biking.

This is one of the oldest farms in the area, established in 1692 on the banks of the Eerste River. The farm produces excellent wines, which go from strength to strength. The flagships are the Frans K. Smit red and white blends, named after the winemaker. Also try the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc and Pinotage—both excellent. The farm's owners value biodiversity and arts and culture: their enormous art collection is displayed across the farm's public spaces, and their farm-grown produce is used in the restaurants. You can order a picnic and enjoy it on the banks of the river, or explore the farm on foot, by bike, or on a Segway tour. In addition to tastings, there is a chocolate and wine pairing and a hands-on blending experience. If you're traveling with the kids, visit Eagle Encounters, an on-site rehabilitation center for raptors. And if you just can't drag them away, there is a delightful hotel on-site complete with a kids' club, so you can sip while they play.

Perched on the crest of the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Tokara is the brainchild of banker G. T. Ferreira. For a city slicker with lots of money, he's done everything right and has scooped up awards. The Chardonnay was once voted one of the top 10 wines from around the world at the Chardonnay-du-Monde Awards. The flagship red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, is well worth taking home. Be on the lookout for the farm's limited-release Pinotage, taken from one block on the foothills of the Simonsberg. Tokara also has farms in the cooler Elgin and Hemel-en-Aarde regions, which means it can produce a stunning white wine blend (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) with plenty of complexity. The farm also presses its own premium olive oil, which you can taste and buy. The restaurant is a foodie's delight, and the Delicatessen is a perfect venue for a breakfast or light lunch. Kids love the free-form jungle gym—as good-looking as any contemporary sculpture—and the weaver's nest they can climb into that hangs in a huge oak.

Established in 1700 by Willem Adriaan van der Stel, who succeeded his father as governor of the Cape, this traditional thatched Cape Dutch homestead looks like something from a fairy tale. An octagonal walled garden aflame with flowers surrounds it, and huge camphor trees, planted over 300 years ago, stand as gnarled sentinels. The homestead is now a museum, furnished in period style. Other historic buildings include a magnificent library and the old stables, which is now the Stables Restaurant, where you can have breakfast or lunch while looking onto the Hottentots Holland Mountains. You can also purchase a picnic to enjoy on the grounds during the summer months, or grab coffee and cake in the tea room overlooking a magnificent rose garden. 

Vergelegen's flagship wines include Vergelegen V (a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon), and Vergelegen GVB Red, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  Reservations are recommended for the hour-long wine tours, but no children are allowed. Note that there are also 70 steep stairs leading to the cellar. Apart from award-winning wine, there are 18 themed gardens, including the Camellia Garden of Excellence—a collection of more than 1,000 plants which flower during the winter months (June–August). There's also a lovely children's play area adjacent to the restaurant.

Although the Ratcliffe family no longer runs the farm, the influence of founder Norma Ratcliffe is still evident. The first female winemaker in South Africa, Norma pioneered the way and is immortalized in the estate's popular Cabernet Sauvignon—The First Lady. Trilogy is a stylish and complex red made with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Another great red, the Three Cape Ladies, was named after the indomitable Ratcliffe women, and is a fabulous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Pinotage. The Cabernet Franc is undoubtedly one of the best wines made from this varietal in the Winelands. In summer there are kid-friendly vineyard tours that compare grape varietals to the Big Five animals from the comfort of a safari vehicle. Afterward, enjoy a decadent picnic on the lawn.