Characterful bases for exploring the Cape Winelands

The Cape Winelands are some of South Africa's most picturesque destinations. Stretching from Cape Town into a landscape of vine-covered valleys, dramatic mountains, and historic towns, this region offers much more than great wine. Award-winning restaurants, stunning Cape Dutch architecture, galleries, museums, hiking trails, farm stalls, and quiet country roads all meet here, offering plenty to explore.

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek may be the names most familiar to international visitors, but the greater Winelands area incorporates much more than just these two towns. There’s Wellington, for example, with its agricultural appeal and stunning mountain passes; Robertson and Montagu with their fruit farms and hot springs; Riebeek Kasteel and Tulbagh with their charming towns; and Hermanus and the Overberg with their coastal appeal.

There’s so much to see and do, and even more places to stay. Choosing one for your trip can be impossibly hard. That’s where the Cape Country Routes comes in. This non-profit collection has been established to provide visitors to South Africa with a curated selection of independently owned and managed country hotels, guesthouses and activity companies that offer a more personal way to experience the Cape. They’ve been chosen not only for their scenic and historic settings but also for their character, charm and romance.

What I love, having stayed in a few of these properties, is that they offer something that larger, more standardised hotels simply cannot replicate. The owners and staff tend to know the surrounding area intimately, from which wine farms are worth visiting and where to eat to the best walking trails and lesser-known places to stop along the way. Each property also boasts a rich history tied to the region in which it operates, allowing you to get a real feel for the place.

Val du Charron: Quiet countryside with all the facilities

Wellington offers a quieter alternative to some of the better-known Winelands towns. It retains the atmosphere of a small country town while the surrounding landscape is breathtakingly beautiful with vineyards set against a towering mountain backdrop. 

Here, Val du Charron is a 42-hectare wine and leisure estate that is itself a destination. The farm dates back to 1699, and its historic buildings, such as the Manor House, have been restored, while new contemporary additions assure that there’s plenty to appeal to modern travellers too. The Manor House can actually be booked out for just your family, with two spacious rooms, its own large pool and veranda, and private kitchen with antique furniture and fixtures reminiscent of the era in which it was built.

There’s also 40 luxurious rooms centered around the pool, family-friendly accommodation with bunks and private courtyards, and adults-only suites with private plunge pools and patios.

The Wild Boar and Wellington trail network offers opportunities for hiking and mountain biking, while the swimming pool provides a more leisurely option for warm afternoons. And when it is time to eat, there is no need to leave the estate. The Grillroom focuses on premium aged beef that pairs well with the estate’s reds, while the more relaxed Pizza Vista has been designed with families in mind, with a splash pad and jungle gym giving younger travellers somewhere to play while adults settle in for a leisurely meal.

Evergreen Manor: Heritage and the town experience

If Wellington represents the more old-world farming side of the Winelands, Stellenbosch offers something more urban. South Africa's second-oldest town, founded in 1679, is surrounded by some of the country's most celebrated wine estates. Stellenbosch's wine route is the oldest in South Africa, with more than 100 wine farms in the wider area, but its appeal extends well beyond the vineyards. Its historic centre is a living museum of oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture, alongside restaurants, galleries, museums, boutiques and the university.

Evergreen Manor & Spa is particularly well placed to experience Stellenbosch. Situated in one of the oldest parts of Stellenbosch, the village-style hotel was built in 1904 and offers gracious living and old-world charm. Its spacious guest rooms are individually decorated with fine period and antique furnishings, while there are two lounges to enjoy, a sun deck next to the swimming pool, and a spacious patio in relaxing gardens. 

An easy four-minute walk takes you to the centre of the town where there is much to discover, while a leisurely stroll through the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden, only a minute away, provides a peaceful green space in the middle of town.

Montagu Country Hotel: The road beyond the Winelands

Continue further into the Winelands, and vineyards mix with rugged mountains as the road approaches Montagu. Montagu sits on Route 62 and makes a particularly rewarding stop for travellers who want to experience more than the traditional Winelands circuit. Hot springs, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, dried fruit, art and heritage all provide reasons to stay beyond wine.

Montagu Country Hotel is itself part of that history. The first hotel on its Bath Street site dates to 1875, while the present Art Deco building was erected in the early 1930s. Today, the hotel retains that sense of another era through its individually decorated Art Deco and Victorian rooms, vintage furnishings and historic setting in the centre of town.

Here, you can spend the morning hiking in the Langeberg, return for a swim or spa treatment, and then head out to explore the historic streets of Montagu or one of the region’s wine farms. The hotel's spa even draws water directly from the town's famous thermal springs for its private mineral jacuzzi.

There are also two restaurants on site. Charlestons is the perfect place to enjoy a hearty meal around roaring fireplaces, while Feathers & Flatcaps is a coffee shop and cocktail lounge where you can enjoy a decadent milkshake or refreshing cocktail while the children play. 

There is plenty beyond the hotel, too. Hiking trails and numerous shorter walks explore the surrounding mountains, while cycling and mountain biking offer another way to see the landscape. The town's galleries, markets, restaurants and heritage buildings are also worth visiting, and Montagu also offers easy access to the Robertson Wine Valley and Breede River Valley. You can take a stylish chauffeur-driven tour in the hotel’s baby-blue 1956 Cadillac Sedan De Ville or the gutsy red 1964 Cadillac Sedan De Ville.