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

Charles Back, the owner of Fairview, also owns the neighboring farm in Paarl. Spice Route produces deep-flavored wines, using mostly untrellised "bush" vines. This practice, which is uncommon outside of South Africa, leads to fruit with great flavor intensity but lower volumes. Try the Spice Route Chakalaka, a signature Swartland blend, which has clove and savory notes. There is good reason to spend an entire day on the estate: artisan shops include Barley & Biltong Emporium; De Villiers Chocolate, where you can join a tutored chocolate pairing; and the Cape Brewing Company, which offers craft beer tasting. At the Grapperia, you can taste grappa and schnapps made on-site and nibble on pizza and charcuterie. There's ice cream for the kids, plus lovely lawns and two jungle gyms.

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. Visit Eagle Encounters, an on-site rehabilitation center for raptors—your kids will never want to leave. And if you just can't drag them away there is a delightful hotel on site complete with 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 buy from the Olive Shed. 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.

This Ratcliffe-family-run farm is all business. Norma Ratcliffe, the grande dame of the estate, spent a couple of years in France perfecting traditional techniques, which have influenced Warwick's reds. The first female winemaker in South Africa, Norma pioneered the way for a new breed of young women who are now making their mark in the industry. 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. There are kid-friendly vineyard tours that compare grape varietals to the Big Five animals. Afterward, enjoy a picnic on the lawn.

Set against the dramatic Drakenstein Mountains and surrounded by vineyards and orchards, Allée Bleue is one of the oldest wine farms in the Cape. This picturesque estate is well known for its fresh and fruity white wines and well-matured, spicy reds. You can taste their award-winning wines on the tree-shaded terrace overlooking the vineyards or by an open fire in the tasting room. Bistro Allée Bleue offers breakfast and light lunches on weekend, or in summer you can buy a picnic basket filled with a selection of salads, breads, nibbles, cheeses, and desserts. There's even a kids' picnic menu, along with a jungle gym, trampoline, sand pit, and jumping castle to keep the little ones occupied. The farm also produces a range of fruit including pears, plums, and nectarines.

The area's only hot springs open to day visitors, Avalon Springs is not the most stylish, and the architecture leaves a lot to be desired. But if you look beyond this and the numerous signs carrying stern warnings and instructions, you'll get some good insights into South African culture as people splash around in the various pools. If you're not staying at the resort, you can rent bikes from the village and cycle to the springs, where you can spend a few hours before heading home again. Try to visit on a weekday, as it can get unpleasantly crowded on weekends.

Covering just 6,880 acres of coastal fynbos, Bontebok National Park 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-face 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 accommodations in the reserve and camping facilities. For day visitors there are a number of short but beautiful walks—seeing wildlife on foot is a wonderful experience.

On the road into McGregor, Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary provides a safe space for neglected and abused donkeys. Kids can meet Alice, Lulu, and the other four-footed residents while you relax at the restaurant, which serves light lunches.

A visit to Fairview is a treat for the whole family, including kids and adults who aren't fans of wine. Children get a kick out of seeing peacocks roaming the grounds and goats clambering up a spiral staircase into a goat tower. And those goats aren't just for decoration—Fairview produces a superb line of goat cheeses and olive oil, all of which you can sample. Visit the Vineyard Cheesery, the first carbon-neutral cheesery on the African continent, and taste the Roydon Camembert. But don't let Fairview's sideshows color your judgment about the wines. The estate's wines are top-drawer and often surprising. The Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz is excellent, as is the La Beryl Blanc. The winery also makes creative use of the farm's many Rhône varieties. Perhaps it's just because the pun was irresistible, but (as claimed by the label) goats are sent into the vineyard to personally select grapes for the Goats-do-Roam, which is indeed like a young Côtes du Rhône (infuriating French winemakers). If you care to linger, you can have a light meal and freshly baked bread at the Goatshed Restaurant.

Former dairy farmer Peter Pentz had enough of getting up at 4 am to milk his cows, so together with his son, Nick, he turned instead to grapes at Groote Post Vineyard. The large, environmentally sensitive winery got off to a fantastic start when its maiden 1999 Sauvignon Blanc was judged one of the best in the Cape, and Groote Post has been winning awards ever since. Try the Groote Post Kapokberg Sauvignon Blanc, packed with flavors of granadilla, green fig, and green pepper. The restaurant, Hilda's Kitchen, is an excellent choice for lunch and makes scrumptious picnic baskets teeming with local cheeses and cured meats, quiches, and chocolate brownies (order these in advance). Game drives through the unique renosterveld ("rhino vegetation" in Afrikaans) are offered during the summer; advanced bookings are essential.

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.

The three-hour Langeberg Tractor Ride takes you to the summit of Long Mountain and back. The tractor winds up some tortuously twisted paths, revealing magnificent views of the area's peaks and valleys. After a short stop at the summit, a similarly harrowing descent follows, but you won't be disappointed by the views or the driver's chirpy banter. If you're here in spring or summer when the flowers are in bloom, you might even get to pick some gorgeous proteas on the way down. Following your trip, you can enjoy a delicious lunch of potjiekos (traditional stew cooked over a fire in a cast-iron pot). Reservations are essential.

You can't drive down the R44 between Somerset West and Stellenbosch without noticing the remarkable scarecrows at Mooiberge Farmstall. They're riding bicycles, driving tractors, and working in the strawberry fields, where you can spend a morning picking the luscious red fruit. The strawberry season varies from one year to the next but usually begins in October and runs to January. You pay for what you pick, and you can also buy jams, dried fruit, and other refreshments at the farm stall. Look for the interesting display of old farm implements at the side of the building.

A long and beautiful driveway emerges at Mulderbosch's tasting room and restaurant, both of which overlook a small lake. It's a relaxed and family-friendly spot, with a small jungle gym and unpretentious food like wood-fired pizzas and sliders. On the wine side, try the Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc series; these wines capture all that's good about the underrated Chenin varietal. Look for mango, pineapple, and citrus flavors with crisp acidity, perfect for summer drinking. A huge portion of the farm has been left to indigenous vegetation and wildlife, and they're attempting to restore endangered native renosterveld and fynbos vegetation. 

A long avenue of pines leads to this lovely estate, which traces its origins to 1692. The magnificent 1814 Cape Dutch manor house looks out across formal rose gardens to the Stellenbosch Valley and the Hottentots Holland Mountains. The Gewürztraminer is an off-dry, very elegant wine with rose-petal and spice aromas, and the Maria Noble Late Harvest (named after the feisty woman who built the manor house) is one of the best of its kind, having scooped up almost every local award since 1990. The farm's Owl Post Pinotage is a single-vineyard wine matured in Hungarian oak, which makes it a funkier take on an old South African favorite. Look out for mocha, raspberry, and cherry flavors. Try the food-and-wine pairings, which include five bite-size servings paired with the estate wines—there's even a kids' version available. The restaurant is more casual than most found in wineries, serving salads, steak, burgers, and wood-fired pizza. On Wednesday evenings in summer enjoy live music, food, and wine as the sunsets.

Hermanus was originally a simple fishing village. Its Old Harbour, the oldest surviving example in South Africa, has been declared a national monument. The Old Harbour Museum bears testimony to the town's maritime past. A small building at the old stone fishing basin displays a couple of the horrific harpoons used to lance whales and sharks, as well as some interesting whale bones. The white building next to the parking lot on Market Square houses the Old Harbour Museum Photographic Exhibition. Here are photos of old Hermanus and of many of the town's fishermen proudly displaying their catches of fish, sharks, and dolphins. The museum's third—and most interesting—component is the Whale House, with an interactive display and entertaining movie that's great for kids. The daily crafts market held behind De Wetshuis Photo Museum is fun for browsing.

Head back toward Kleinmond, continuing on the R43 toward Hermanus and across the Bot River. The R43 swings eastward around the mountains, past the not particularly attractive fishing village of Hawston, one of the Overstrand communities hardest hit by abalone poaching and drug peddling, and the small artists' colony of Onrus. The Onrus lagoon is a great swimming spot for children; the water is always a couple of degrees warmer than the sea and is safe for the newly waterborne.

This winery sits at the head of a shallow valley, backed by hillsides covered with vines and fynbos. It's a lovely place for lunch on a sunny day, and you can explore the estate and beyond on a series of walking, biking, or horseback trails. The restaurant serves à la carte meals and teas on an oak-shaded terrace overlooking the gardens and mountains. There's also a pizzeria, or you can order a picnic basket for two brimming with fresh baguettes, cold meats, salads, delicious cheeses, and a bottle of wine (must be booked in advance). The estate makes an excellent Shiraz, thanks to its unique terroir, which is composed of old decomposed granite soils. Other wines to look out for are the Pinotage, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc.

Stroll along the boardwalk at Rooisand Nature Reserve and you might catch a glimpse of the famous Bot River horses that live in vlei, or wetlands along the shores of the Botrivier Lagoon. There are lots of theories about just how the horses got here. One has it that they were turned loose by soldiers during the Boer War. More likely they are descendants of the sturdy horses used to help settle the wild regions of the Overberg. This area is also a birder’s paradise, and you might see white cattle egrets riding piggyback on the horses.

Based in a converted old wine cellar, this complex between Franschhoek and Paarl can occupy a whole family for the afternoon. There's an award-winning craft brewery here, specializing in unique, barrel-aged beers, some fermented with yeast harvested from surrounding fynbos. It's also home to the tasting room of Painted Wolf Wines, best known for their spicy Shiraz, and Stillman Distillery, who make great gin. For kids and artsy types, you can design and paint a glass bowl at Fanglasstic, or just shop for some of their beautifully etched glassware. Papi's Eatery provides sustenance after all the beer, wine, and gin, with hearty burgers, smoked meats, and excellent milkshakes.

Sitting in a sea of vines is this estate with tremendous views back toward Stellenbosch and the mountains. Simonsig has more than a dozen white and red wines of impressive range, both in terms of taste and price. But quantity certainly doesn't mean that it has compromised on quality. This family-run farm produces exciting and consistent wines. Kaapse Vonkel was South Africa's first Méthode Cap Classique, and since 1971 this classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a touch of Pinot Meunier has been among the best. The Pinotage demonstrates how well this varietal fares with no wood aging, but the Red Hill Pinotage, from old bush vines, shows just how much good oaking can improve it. This is a good place for kids, with a small playground, a labyrinth that takes about 10 minutes to walk through, and a small vineyard they can explore. Cuvee restaurant offers seasonal, locally inspired dishes in a relaxed environment.

This winery between Robertson and Bonnievale produces around 60 wines, as well as whisky, brandy, and wine coolers, so there's something to suit most palates. In addition to sampling the wines, be sure to visit the unusual grounds of this family-owned farm. An established garden of native and exotic plants and trees surrounds a fountain that supplies the entire farm. Instead of visiting the usual tasting room, sit out under the trees and have the various wines brought to you. It's very relaxed and friendly, and you may feel like part of the family before you know it. The tasting room offers 10 different tastings, including pairings with cheese, chocolate, and a selection of sweets. There are even nonalcoholic tastings and a pairing for kids. 

Driving down Bain's Kloof Road, keep an eye out for the tasting room of Wellington Wines on the right. Constructed in 1907 in traditional style, the building itself is not noteworthy, but it has a vast picture window offering a stupendous view of the undulating vineyards beyond. Be sure to try the Centennial Range Shiraz-Mourvèdre blend, which promises great things. With plenty of well-priced, good-quality wines to choose from, you likely won't go away empty-handed. Unusual tasting options include a wine and doughnut pairing and a juice tasting option for the little ones.

About 20 minutes from Langebaan, West Coast Fossil Park is one of the richest fossil sites in the world. It was discovered by chance while the area was being mined for phosphates in the 1950s. Since then, more than 200 kinds of fossilized animals have been collected, including the fearsome African bear, which used to roam this area. The park has been declared a national monument, and the curators have done much to make the park as accessible as possible. There are interactive guided tours, cycling trails through the areas, and interesting archaeological workshops for all ages. There's also a children's play park and a coffee shop where you can have a toasted sandwich.

Even if you don't stop at the West Coast National Park, consider driving along the scenic road that runs through it. The park is a fabulous mix of wetlands and coastal fynbos. On a sunny day the lagoon assumes a magical color, made all the more impressive by blinding white beaches and the sheer emptiness of the place. Birders can have a field day identifying waterbirds, including curlew and bar-tailed godwits. The little mountain at the tip of the reserve where ships would drop off their mail on their trip around the Cape, is open only in flower season, which changes from year to year but falls somewhere between August and early October. 

It's easy to run out of superlatives when describing West Coast flowers, but imagine acres of land carpeted in multicolored blooms as far as the eye can see. If you're lucky, you may catch glimpses of zebra, wildebeest, or bat-eared foxes. Keep an eye out for tortoises crossing the road. There is a handful of cute cottages dotted around the park if you'd like to stay over, or for something a little more unusual, check out the houseboats permanently moored in the lagoon. Accommodations get booked up months in advance for flower season, so plan ahead.

Although it's looking a little worn around the edges, the Worcester Museum makes a welcome change from dusty artifacts in glass cases. It's a collection of original buildings from the area that have been re-erected around a working farmyard. Museum staffers bake bread, twist tobacco, make horseshoes in a smithy, and distill witblits (meaning moonshine).  There are witblits tastings, but keep in mind that some types have an alcohol content of almost 80%. The museum also has a shop where you can buy produce from the farmyard.