Malmesbury lies in the centre of the Swartland and is also the region’s biggest town. It is located about an hour’s drive north of Cape Town. From the higher reaches in town, on a clear day, you can see Table Mountain (Cape Town) in the distance.
Most of the hills around town are covered in a blanket of wheat, initially green and later golden as the wheat ripens. This is complemented by vineyards, also a kaleidoscope of changing colours depending on the season. To round of the picture some fields are covered in yellow Canola flowers. All in all it makes for a beautiful landscape.
For outdoor enthusiasts the town offers mountain bike trails, 4x4 routes, hiking trails and a shady 9-hole golf course with views of Table Mountain. If you’d like to discover some of the town’s oldest buildings, including the town’s neo-Gothic Dutch Reformed Church (1860) on foot or by car, Malmesbury Tourism provides a map indicating the most interesting buildings as well as background on each. You may also download the map from their website.
The office for the Swartland Wine and Olive Route is located in town. The Route includes twenty different wine and olive producers in the Swartland Region.
This tour gives you the opportunity to visit the Cape Winelands, taste some of our best estate wines and experience the special kind of West Coast hospitality and cuisine. Visit two factories at Clanwilliam producing two quintessential South African products: velskoene and rooibos tea. Overnight at the quaint Paternoster. Visit Saldanha Bay harbour and the West Coast National Park. In season you might enjoy vast expanses of indigenous flowers.
Highlights:
Cape Winelands
,
Riebeek Valley
,
Paternoster
,
The West Coast
,
Cederberg Mountains & Wilderness Area
,
Bird Island Nature Reserve
.
The town Riebeek-Kasteel is situated in the picturesque Riebeek Valley, approximately 80 km northwest of Cape Town. In 2009 it was voted one of the three most beautiful towns in the Western Cape. The attraction for tourists lies in the beauty and tranquility of the town and its surroundings.
Riebeek West, situated in the beautiful scenic Riebeek Valley, is only an hours drive from Cape Town. It is the twin of Riebeek Kasteel, situated in the same valley. The charm of this village lies in the beauty of the valley, the impressive Riebeek Kasteel Mountain, the rolling hills and the play of vineyards and olive orchards.
The Swartland region is located just north of Cape Town and includes the towns of Malmesbury, Darling, Riebeek Kasteel, Riebeek West, Moorreesburg, Koringberg and some also include Porterville, Piketberg and Yzerfontein on the West Coast. It is known for its vast wheat farms, but also produce top wines.
Porterville is a picturesque town approximately 140 km from Cape Town, situated on the banks of the Olifants River and at the foot of the Voorberg Mountains.The town was established in 1863 and named after the popular Attorney General Sir William Porter.
The small village of Darling is situated on the Cape West Coast, 75 km north of Cape Town. Darling’s claim to fame is that it is the hometown of South African satirist, Pieter Dirk Uys, better know as his alter ego, Evita Bezuidenhoudt. The village has a real small town feel and is a popular getaway for Capetonians.