Visiting the Cape Winelands

Cape Town is land marked by the joining of to mighty oceans, Table Mountain and the Cape Winelands. Visiting the Cape Winelands region, the winelands region is situated to the north-east of Cape Town alongside the coast. Visiting the Cape Winelands is usually on top of the list of things to do in Cape Town.

Whether it is its magnificent natural beauty, its rich cultural heritage or its world-renowned wines, the region is synonymous with all the best that the Cape has to offer. The Cape is considered to be the land of grapes, along with production of world’s finest wines; the wine tourism is one of South Africa’s fastest growing industries. The mild Mediterranean weather of the Cape is conducive for growing grapes.

The Cape Winelands offer a beautiful landscape of wine hills and mountains which contributes to the splendours of the Cape with lush green valleys, rugged mountains and azure seas. Areas such as Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, Franschhoek, Constantia and Durbanville are framed by mountains and lush vineyards and are home to historic buildings and museums that showcase the history of the area.

The Cape Winelands currently ranks as the most prominent wine-producing location in the South Africa; the excellent wines produced in this area are world-renowned.

Visitors have a choice to experience small, boutique wineries and the larger, more commercial wine estates. There are currently 560 wineries and 4 400 primary producers of vineyards in the Cape, where you are guaranteed to taste some of the finest wines in the world. Many wine farms offer a wide range of tranquil and secure accommodation options located on the wine estates.

Take a scenic and historic drive along the Cape Wine Route and allow for wine tasting at local farms in Paarl, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Wellington; even more accessible are the wine farms on offer in the Constantia Valley and Durbanville. Combine your stay at a hotel in the centre of town with a stay at a Cape Winelands Hotel, making a perfect holiday combination of both city and scenery.

The Paarl area offers historical charm, culture, architectural heritage, and wine and fruit farms, and is based only 56 km from Cape Town. Franschhoek is known for the splendid mountains, arts-and-craft shops, galleries and antique stores, and Wellington; for its panoramic Bain's Kloof Pass, dried fruit shop and picturesque wine estates. The most infamous winelands area is the town of Stellenbosch.

This is the second oldest town in South Africa; and is home to a variety of cellars producing some of the country's most acclaimed wines. The Constantia Valley wine region is situated just 20 minutes outside of Cape Town’s city center boasting some of the oldest wine estates and award winning restaurants. The original Constantia farm was cultivated by Simon van der Stel and today the smaller divided farms produce award winning wines from wineries such as Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting Constantia.

The colourful history and culturally diverse history of the winelands; stems from the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East coming together for over 350 years.

The picturesque towns are filed with Cape Dutch farmsteads and their distinctive gables and thatched roofs; these are examples of typical Dutch architecture dating back to the 17th century.

Wine estates are open to the public and visitors are encouraged to explore the many wine farms. Join the winemaker on a tour the cellars and partake in a wine tasting experience. Other activities on offer are cheese tasting tours and fruit picking tours.

Indulge in gourmet South African cuisine at one of the many wine estate restaurants. The excellent food is always accompanied by the regions finest wines. Outside of the wine estates there is plenty of opportunity to visit the surrounding museums, monuments, open-air theatres and art galleries.

Wine lover or not, a visit to the Cape Winelands is an absolute must, and visitors to the area are encouraged to make the most of their time and tour the estates and wine cellars, enjoying the scenic mountain surroundings, soaking up the fermented grape atmosphere and tasting quality local wines. With the mixture of culture, scenery, history, food, glorious wine and accessibility to Cape Town; the Cape Winelands is an ideal holiday destination.

You can book a tour to the cape winelands in conjunction with your stay at the Arabella - make a holiday of it !!! When filling the accommodation enquiry form, just specify you would like tours to be adde don - there is a place. Combine your stay at the Westin Grand Hotel in Cape Town with a stay in one of the below Winelands hotels.