Stellenbosch is often considered to be the heart of South Africa's wine industry. This historical town is home to over 150 wine farms and cellars, many of which have opened themselves up to the public. Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town). In 1679, Simon Van Der Stel and his entourage settled on a small island in the Eerste River, called Stellenbosch. This is where the town got its name from.

Initailly the fertile land was intended to grow fruit and vegetables to supply ships enroute to and from the East Indies and the many oak trees planted at the same time now give the nick name to the town "Eikestad" or City of Oaks.

Many of the monuments and heritage buildings are still standing today and are able to be viewed by the public, which gives one a good idea of what the town muist have looked like at the time when Simon van der Stel settled there.

Also known as the university town, Stellenbosch is home to Stellenbosch University which has been around since 1866. Many years of high quality education and research has earned this university a place as one of the top educational institutions in the world, not to mention being the place of study of around 155 players of the national rugby team.

The abundance of accommodations, restaurants, markets, monuments and activities avaialble in Stellenbosch make this winelands town one of the most interesting and relaxing towns along the Cape Wine Route.

Explore the town and its rich historial background, walk the oak-tree lined roads or taste some of the finest Cape wines at one of the many immaculate wine farms in and around Stellenbosch.

You will come out feeling more knowledgeable, more relaxed and will realise that its not just the wines that makes this town and it's surrounds so appealing to the rest of the globe.

Accommodation in Stellenbosch: Auberge Rozendal , Stellenbosch Hotel , Mavilla Stellenbosch Guesthouse , Yellow Lodge Guest House and Kleinbosch Lodge.

Franschhoek Wine Valley can be found deep in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Steeped in history, this charming town was home to the French Huguenots that arrived in the Cape in the 17th century. The spectacular scenery and luscious vineyards make Franschhoek one of the true gems of the Cape WInelands.

Also named the gourmet capital of South Africa, Franschhoek is abundant with some top class restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and bistros. Some of the finest wines can be had along with some of the finest French cuisine, a true fine dining experience.

Accommodation varies from top class boutique hotels and guest houses to smaller, more intimate B&B's and farm stays. One is able to stay on farms where the wine is actually made and take tours of the cellars where the wine is kept and matured to produce wines of the highest quality.

Franschhoek, being such a diverse and artistic village, also offers many arts, crafts, antiques and curious made by the locals themselves. Fresh produce is availble for purchase at farmers markets where one can buy produce straight off the farm. What is better than that?

Accommodation in Franschhoek: La Fontaine Guest House , Klein Oliphantshoek and La Petite Dauphine .

Welcome to the summer oasis of the Western Cape, with warmth, sunshine, swimming, hiking and fruit, mixed with plenty of summertime hospitality! Montagu is located in the perfect place. It is just far enough from the karoo to benefit from the warm dry weather without ever getting too hot to handle. Popular, for everything from arts and crafts to hot springs, hiking, kloofing and fishing, Montagu has become a favourite destination amongst South African holiday makers. 

McGregor is named after Reverend Andrew McGregor. With numerous trails streching out all over surrounding mountains, this town is the perfect pitstop for keen hikers, mountain bikers and 4x4 trail enthusiasts. Not to be outdone by neighboring towns, McGregor boasts an amazing 42 wineries, and can even offer its guests a river boat wine tasting cruise!

The Cape Winelands offers enough to occupy any traveller, but if you want to take in some of Cape Towns other big attractions while your here, they are not far away! Don't miss out on the following famous attractions:

Table Mountain:  Rising to a kilometre above the ocean, this towering sandstone plateau is one of the most recognisable symbols of South Africa, and specifically of Cape Town.   Whether you hike it, or take the cable car, table mountain is a spectacular and important feature of Cape Town.   Whether you choose one of the many hiking trails to the top, or the much less tiring revolving cable car, you will certainly enjoy your ascent up the mountain.

V&A Waterfront:  Once a bleak landscape of ports, container terminals and oil storage tanks, the redevelopment of the Waterfront has turned it into an extremely popular tourist destination, with shopping centres, restaurants, hotels and an aquarium all on offer. Street entertainment is provided in the form of buskers, festivals and live music, based in the open-air ampitheatre.

Robben Island:  Robben Island is the prison notorious for incarcerating Nelson Mandela for almost 20 years. Apart from housing a number of political prisoners, the island has had other uses, including as a lunatic asylum, leper colony and general dumping place for chronically ill patients. Today it is a World Heritage Site and South African National Monument and Museum, with tours partly conducted by former inmates. Tours to the island depart from the V&A Waterfront. As there are only a limited number of visitors allowed per day, it is recommended that you book in advance.

The Castle: Actually a fort, rather than a castle, this is the oldest surviving structure in all of South Africa. It was built between 1666 and 1679, and today is the headquarters of the Western Province Army Command. Inside the Castle are both the Castle History Museum and the William Fehr Collection of Africana, which give an insight into what life in the Cape would have been like in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens: Kirstenbosch, located on the slopes of Table Mountain, covers over 500 ha of land. It is unique in that only plants indigenous to South Africa are grown there, and there are over 6000 local species present in the gardens.  There is also a well-stocked visitors centre, gift shop, book shop and restaurant in the garden.

The rolling mountains, sandy beaches and warm blue ocean make Somerset West one of the best places to holiday. Just beyond the Hottentots Holland Mountains lies the garden route, a very well travelled route by many a tourist. Just an hour away from Somerset West, along the garden route, one can see the whales frolicking in the bay at Hermanus.

Abundant with hectares of rolling vines and lush green botanical gardens, a wide array of hotels, guest houses and B&B's and numerous places to eat, fine dining and family, what's not to love about Somerset West.

This friendly and charming town is a great place to bring a family with children as the wide range of acticvities and tours availble will keep you occupied for days, not to mention a day on the beach with the children.

A very interesting place to visit is the Kogelberg Biosphere reserve, the first proclaimed international biosphere in South Africa where one can view over 1600 species of fynbos of which 150 are endemic.

Accommodation in Somerset West: Lorden Lodge , Africa Lodge , Somerset Lodge and Vineyard View .

There are few things more pleasant than wine tasting. Below are just a few of our favourites...

Stellenbosch Wine Route:

Spier Wine Estate - there is so much to do at this estate that you could quite easily spend the day.

JC Le Roux, this estate offers wine cellar tours. Mid April to November - Monday- Friday 10 am, 11:30 am and then again at 3 pm. From 12 December until March the tours run Monday- Friday at 10am, 11am, 12pm and then at 3pm. On Saturdays the tours are at 10am and 12pm.

Waterford Estate offers chocolate and wine tasting. It is slightly more expensive than many other surrounding wine farms but certainly well worth every penny. Monday - Friday they are open between 09:00 and 16:30 and on Saturdays between 10:00 and 14:30.

Franschhoek Wine Route:

Dieu Donne, this is one of the most popular estates in the area and is certainly worth a visit. On Monday to Friday the tasting room is open from 9 am until 4pm, it's open from10am to 4pm over the weekends.

Boschedal Estate, found inbetween Stellenbosch and Franschhoek this estate offers wine tasting and a nice restaurant. Wine tasting is open everyday of the week from 9:30 until 4:30 pm

Durbanville Wine Route: (click here for more infomation)

De Grendal, is slightly away from the hub of Durbanville wine farms but since it offers free wine tasting, it is definitely worth the drive! Tasting Hours are as follows: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm,
Saturday 10am - 4pm and on Sunday from 10am - 4pm

Hillcrest Wine Estate, perched on top of the hill this estate has a fabulous view out towards the Atlantic Ocean. Hillcrest is open everyday from 9am to - 5pm

Nitida Wine Estate, this estate is right next to Hillcrest and also offers free tastings. On Monday - Friday the tastings run from 9am - 5pm, on Saturdays from 9:30am unti - 3pm and on Sundays from 11am until 3pm