Stunning Cape Winelands! For The Love Of Wine And Hiking – Join The ‘Wi-king’ Trend!
Breathtaking Estates, award-winning wines and wholesome food - this is what the Winelands around Cape Town have always been known for. Now, most vineyards have opened their land to the public for hiking too. This sets up a whole new trend we like to call 'Wi-king' - Wine plus Hiking!
Find out about our Top 5 Wine Estates!
A New Trend is Rising!
Wine tasting has always been a favourite pastime in and around Cape Town. It would be a sin not to visit at least a few wine farms when you visit the area.
Over the last few years though most wine estates have also opened their land to the public for hiking, mountain biking and trail running events. Locals are already onto the trend for a while, but it’s quite a new and unique experience for visitors too! You get to explore stunning nature, it is easy to do plus you can stay on top of your fitness regime! If you have one…
Usually, you pay a little fee, anywhere between 30 to 60 ZAR (about 2 – 3.50 EUR), for your hiking permit and off you go! At most places, you can choose between different trails lengths, marked with signage along the way. To be honest, some places are better at signposting than others. Always stay flexible and don’t panic if you lose your trail. No one has ever been lost forever on the slopes of the vineyards yet! Enjoy the amazing views and nature around you, you’ll make it back!
What's It All About?
During our latest stay in Cape Town, a good friend introduced us to some of the best hiking and wine experiences available. We made it a habit to go out at least once a week to a new wine estate for an early morning hike through their beautiful vineyards and a little snack and wine tasting afterwards. Every estate has a slightly different set-up, each special and lovely in its own way.
The Hiking
As it comes to the hiking, some trails are more mountainous than others of course depending on their location. You can pick and choose what trail works best for you. It is completely up to your personal fitness levels and preferences how long you walk. We opted mostly for trails between 7 to 10 km, some more strenuous than others.
All trails come with stunning views over the area. If you hike in the Durbanville / West Coast vineyards you usually catch some excellent views of Table Mountain and the city. In the Cape Winelands around Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch you’ll get some amazing mountain vistas. It truly is a privilege to be able to walk through the unique trails of each of the wine estates. In summer especially it’s best to go out early in the morning since it can get very hot during the day.
The Wines & Treats
Every wine estate is different in their set-up, but you will definitely have an amazing time at all of them! Some have little farm stalls or delis with delicious homemade goods from bread and pastries to meat, chutneys or cheeses. Pretty much all estates have amazing restaurants with some world-class dishes and all of them have tasting rooms with outstanding wines. It doesn’t matter if you want to taste your way through the different wines or if you just get a bottle and plonk down somewhere to enjoy a good drop. After some good exercise, you definitely deserve to treat yourself!
My Top 5 'Wi-king' Estates
Obviously, the choice is endless and there are so many more great estates to explore in the region. Let me introduce you to my top 5 Wi-king estates. They are all located in different areas, with different types of trails and wining and dining arrangements. Should you find yourself in Cape Town, make sure that you do at least one little hiking excursion. If you start early and don’t get too carried away on the wine tasting, it’s only a half-day excursion. This still leaves time in the afternoon for other activities. Or more wine!
#1 - Meerendal
Situated in the Durbanville area, North of the city centre, Meerendal is one of the closest estates for your Wi-king experience! Meerendal is a century-old, family-run winery that produces some of South Africa’s best wines. The Cape Dutch Manor House used to be the original family home and is now a Luxury Boutique Hotel. The beautiful hotel is surrounded by vineyards, the tasting room, Carlucci’s Restaurant as well as the Farmstall Eatery and Bakery! It’s a beautiful estate with plenty of options to keep yourself amused!
The Hiking
The entrance to the hiking trail is right opposite the parking area. You pay 30 ZAR entrance fee and off you go! You can choose between different length hiking trails. It starts off quite flat, but as you make your way through the vineyards you win quite a bit in elevation. If you are up for the 10 km trail, be prepared to get the heart pumping scaling up the bigger hills! It’s all worth it though because you’ll be rewarded with the best views of Table Mountain, Table Bay and the West Coast! If you like to keep it light and go with a slightly shorter trail you’ll still get beautiful views over the Durbanville area and the Stellenbosch Mountains in the back.
The Treats
Once you are done hiking, treat yourself to a breakfast or bakery snack at the Farmstall Eatery and Bakery. There is a have a huge grass area in the back with lovely informal seating. The perfect place to have a coffee, some breakfast or snacks from the bakery.
Moving on to the star of the show – the wine! When you come out of the Farmstall Eatery you’ll find the tasting room right next door. Enjoy a tasting of their beautiful white and red wines. Depending on the weather you can either sit inside or make use of their outdoor seating area. Buy a couple of bottles of wine, they are very well priced and delicious. In case you are looking for bigger quantities, Meerendal also delivers to a few selected overseas countries. The perfect souvenir for your loved ones at home!
The Verdict
It’s a great place for Wi-king beginners! The walk is not too strenuous, suitable for pretty much any fitness level. The views are amazing and there are plenty of options to treat yourself afterwards! Fresh baked goods, lovely breakfast or lunch items and not to forget some world-class wines!
Location: Durbanville, about 33 km North of Cape Town city centre
#2 - CAPAIA
This beautiful wine estate is a truly secret, even many Capetonians don’t know about. Just off the N7, the Cape Namibia Route, this little gem is hidden in the hills of the West Coast. Compared to other wine estates CAPAIA is relatively small with ‘only’ one restaurant and a little farm stall. A huge lawn with some little shady seating areas invites you to go picnic style to enjoy your wine. I wouldn’t call myself a birder, but the birdlife here is quite something. There are so many different species chirping, flitting and flying around the estate, it truly is amazing.
The Hiking
CAPAIA offers a great deal to use their hiking trails! You pay 50 ZAR for the hiking but you also get a hot coffee and a toasted sandwich afterwards, all included in your hiking permit! That definitely gives you something to look forward to!
The trails are very relaxed and don’t get you sweating too much! You are mostly hugging the soft slopes of the vineyards without doing too much in elevation. The signposting of the trails is good, so there is little chance to get lost. During your hike you can also catch some of the most spectacular views of Table Mountain. It’s quite a unique view since it’s a different angle compared to most other estates in the area. We went in early autumn when the morning mist was rolling in from the sea and the vineyards slowly turned red – what a terrific sight! Apart from Table Mountain, you can also catch some great views of the Stellenbosch mountains.
A beautiful, not too strenuous hike through the vines paired with some outstanding views of the surrounding areas! CAPAIA definitely comes recommended.
The Treats
When you pay for your hike, you already choose your coffee and sandwich for later! Once you are done, you return to the place you got the permit from and your breakfast will be served! We opted for picnic-style on the lawn – where we had our lovely coffee and toasted sandwiches, followed by a little bottle of wine! It was midday after all -time to taste the goods!
‘Mariella’ is the restaurant on the premises and I wish we would have had more time to try it out. Their outdoor and indoor areas are beautifully decorated, you’ll have some amazing views and the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely give this a try for lunch!
The Verdict
I loved the hike around CAPAIA. It is such a different area from all the other estates with such different views of Table Mountain. We did the 10 km trail, which is a lovely hike – it’s very relaxed, not too hectic, not too strenuous!
It’s a great idea to have the little breakfast included in your 50 ZAR hiking permit. It makes it feel like a steal because you usually won’t get a coffee and a sandwich for that money in the city! Plus you get a beautiful hike to go with it! Visiting CAPAIA is like finding a hidden gem. It’s a lovely place, well worth a visit!
Location: West Coast, about 38 km North of Cape Town city centre
#3 - Muratie
No matter if you are planning on hiking or not – Muratie is a must-visit. As one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa, this place dates back to 1685. It was granted as a farm by Simon van der Stel, the first Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. Apart from its stunning wines, Muratie is probably best known for the century-old spiderwebs that can be seen in the tasting room. It’s a beautiful historic estate, tugged away in the Knorhoek Valley just outside Stellenbosch. Enormous oak trees, century-old farm buildings and rolling mountains all around, Muratie is just enchanting.
As it comes to their wines, Muratie tries to combine the advances of the wine industry with the traditional craft that goes into their award-winning wines. The grapes are still being harvested by hand and instead of using damaging pesticides, Muratie uses geese to clear the vineyards from harmful critters.
The Hiking
For a mere 60 ZAR you have access to the breathtaking land surrounding Muratie. The trails around the estate are beautiful, but a bit more strenuous as you are scaling up the hills. Here, you walk less through the vineyards, but more through the land overlooking the valley. It is a good mixture of shady forest paths as well as open plains with beautiful views over the surrounding landscape. The signage is pretty well done. Along the 10 km trail we chose, we only lost our way once. You do share the path with mountain bikers so keep your wits about you and give way if need be. It’s a lovely hike where you honestly earned your treats afterwards! Muratie hosts quite a few trail running events – have a look on their website if you are interested in joining.
The Treats
Their restaurant, the ‘Muratie Farm Kitchen’, offers some amazing food! If you come with a bigger group it’s probably best if you book a table. We treated ourselves to a charcuterie & cheese platter and of course a good bottle of wine! Their Sauvignon Blanc is delicious and very well priced. Sitting under the giant oak tree in front of the stunning old farm building sipping on some of South Africa’s best wines is a pretty amazing experience.
If this is your first time to Muratie, do go for a wine tasting in their wine cellar. You will find some outstanding wines while admiring the century-old spiderwebs. You don’t get to see those unusual witnesses of times-gone-by every day! It is simply a must-do while you are here.
If you want to make a day of it, venture to Delheim Wine Estate, just a few hundred metres further down the road. It is one of my favourite wine estates in the area and should be visited too!
The Verdict
Muratie should be on your Wi-king list! It is such a beautiful and historical place in stunning scenery, it would be a sin to miss out on it! You definitely get to burn some calories while climbing up those hills. The Farm Kitchen will make sure though that you put every lost calorie straight back on with their delicious food! The fitness-to-treat ratio is pretty perfect at Muratie! Add Delheim with their world-class wines and lovely restaurant to your itinerary and you have yourself a splendid day in the Winelands!
Location: Stellenbosch, about 55 km East of Cape Town city centre
#4 - Fairview
The Fairview Wine Estate is very well known amongst locals as well as visitors from all over the world. Situated outside Paarl, this working farm has plenty of land and vineyards around to make for some great hiking! Just like Muratie, Fairview is one of the oldest farms in the area and had been designated as a farm since 1693 by no other than Simon van der Stel. It’s probably one of the most visited estates in the Cape Winelands because they not only make great wine, they also make some of South Africa’s best cheeses! And what could be better than a cheese and wine pairing?
The Hiking
Our hike at Fairview was probably one of my favourite days in a long time! We came to Fairview for the La Capra Trail Running Event. For 100 ZAR (about 6 EUR or 7 USD) you could join the trail run and have a cheese and wine pairing included afterwards! The perfect deal for some Wi-king!
To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive at first as I saw myself being run over by super fit, professional trail runners in their hundreds! Since you could start any time between 8 am and 4 pm, the feared crowds were luckily nowhere to be seen. In fact, we didn’t see a single soul during our hike. I have a feeling everyone went straight to the tasting room.
We started at 8 am and were aiming for their 10 km trail. Given that there is so much land, Fairview has an abundance of trails that are marked in different colours. The first 1.5 km of our 10 km track were very well signposted, after that we couldn’t find our trail colour ever again. Being lost early on, we simply decided to wing it and make up our own trail! It was some of the most varied, beautiful trails with amazing views over the Paarl and Franschhoek mountains. We went through vineyards, thick forests and ridges, we even came past the famous Paarl Taal Monument! We were so knee-deep in natural bliss, that we got so lost that we seriously contemplated calling an Uber to get us back to Fairview. We eventually made it back to the farm – on foot – and with 13 km under our belts, we couldn’t wait for the wine and cheese pairing to commence!
The Treats
Where to begin?! Their restaurant is aptly named The Goatshed. Here you can sit in peace for some outstanding lunch and the delicious Fairview wines. The most exciting part – for me at least – is the farmstall deli, where you can buy freshly baked bread, the famous Fairview cheeses, preserves, chutneys and anything else Fairview produces! Even if you don’t like wine (who are you? Satan?), the farmstall deli is a paradise for any foodie out there.
And last but not least – the tasting room! The Fairview tasting room is huge with many little ‘tasting islands’ – ovally shaped bar areas. You can sit with a maximum of 10 people around the bar, which is being served by their experienced staff.
This is where we found ourselves in the capable hands of Derek for our cheese & wine pairing. Derek was the perfect sommelier to guide us through our wine and cheese experience. He was knowledgeable, fun and perfect at reading the situation. I fear that after our 13 km adventure around the farm, the wine hit home early on. We were probably the noisiest tasting booth in the place, befriending everyone else who was (un-) lucky enough to share our booth. We loved the tasting so much we invested another 40 ZAR each to do it all over again. I think Derek went through a lot, trying to keep us at bay, but he was rewarded by some over the top impulse purchases from our end. It was definitely one of the most fun Wi-king experiences we had!
The Verdict
If you book a professional wine tour with an operator, the chances of you ending up at Fairview are pretty high! It’s one of the most popular wine estates to visit and rightly so! Their wine is fantastic, their deli is an experience in itself and the goat tower is an iconic landmark. If you go, I urge you to try out their trails. As mentioned the signposting is a shocker, but for the most part, you can just mix and match the routes as you like. The views are stunning and worth the hike. Give Fairview a try when you are in the area, you will surely not be disappointed!
Location: Paarl, about 60 km East of Cape Town city centre
#5 - Boschendal
Last but not least – Boschendal is the crown jewel amongst the wine estates! This beautiful estate is located just outside Franschhoek. It’s an exquisite little wine town, first set up by French Huguenots who came to settle here to flee persecution in their native France. Franschhoek literally means French Corner. The estate was first established by one of the French Huguenots and dates back to 1685. In 1887 the farm was purchased by no other than Cecil Rhodes to form part of his commercial fruit business. If you do the Boschendal hiking trail you will walk through the orchards that are still part of the farm! Anyway, enough history! Boschendal is just amazingly beautiful with its gorgeous Dutch Manor House as the centrepiece, The Werf Restaurant overlooking the organic gardens and the Deli and Farm Shop at the flanks. Of course, you can also book an overnight stay on this stunning property in luxurious little cottages. The enormous garden area, accommodation, the delicious wines and food are also the reasons Boschendal is especially popular as a wedding venue. It’s impossible not to love it here. Needless to say that their wines are award-winning and all the delicious food from vegetables to the meat all come from the farm itself. It’s a little piece of heaven.
The Hiking
Good news – hiking here is one of the easiest and flattest you can find in an area with so many mountains. For 60 ZAR you’ll get your hiking permit and you’ll set off through the orchards on your 5 or 10 km hike. The trail leads you through varied landscapes which makes it quite exciting. You’ll walk through orchards, paddocks, farmland and dams all with towering mountains around. There is always something to marvel at. You’ll come past the happy pigs, cows and horses on the farm, which makes it ideal if you come with kids too. If you want to try yourself in some trail running, Boschendal is great territory for beginners. It really is a lovely walk through the hinterland of this great estate.
The Treats
The Farm Shop and Butchery offers freshly baked bread, sandwiches and pastries as well as fresh coffee. If you fancy a little breakfast after your hike, you can buy it here to eat outside or to take it away. This little farm shop has some of the most amazing, organic food, farm-produced meats, wine and little souvenirs – do take the time to peruse the shop. It is worth it.
For a proper sit-down breakfast or lunch, you can walk a few metres further to the Deli. Here you get hearty farm food – all grown on their own premises. If you really want to treat yourself, have a meal at The Werf Restaurant. It is a stunning restaurant with “soil-to-fork” dining, as they call it! The terrace overlooks the garden where all your food has been harvested from earlier! What a great experience!
And the wine!! Let’s not forget the amazing wine. No matter if it’s red or white, MCC (Methode Cap Classique – local champagne) or Brandy – Boschendals wine products are simply delicious. Have a little tasting or just get a bottle with some of their farm-fresh dishes and enjoy the ambience of the estate!
The Verdict
Boschendal is another Must-Visit, no matter what you come for – be it the wine tasting, the food or the hiking. Or all of it!
It is simply a stunning estate with many things on offer. If you are interested in cycling rather than hiking, there is also a bicycle rental at the booth where you purchase the hiking permits.
You can easily spend hours on the property, visiting their garden and orchard, peruse the beautiful farm shop and of course take some time to taste their amazing wines. Boschendal also hosts quite a few events of all sorts. Have a look at their website under the Events section to see what is on. If you really want to treat yourself – spend a night or two in one of the guest cottages set in their beautiful gardens. It is just stunning!
Boschendal is a great beginners Wi-king property, easy-going with varied landscapes and most importantly great options to treat yourself afterwards!
Is Wi-king Something For You?
There are so many stunning hiking trails in and around Cape Town and the Cape Winelands, you probably would never be able to do them all. National Parks and nature reserves in the area offer some of the best hiking around and should definitely be on your list of things to do.
It is just something unique being able to hike through the vineyards and stunning landscapes of some of South Africa’s most prestigious wine estates. Trail running has surely opened this door and it seems like most estates have jumped on the bandwagon. Some places advertise it on their websites, others don’t. If you find a place you would like to explore more, just ask if they have hiking trails, it might just not be on their website.
Being back in Cape Town, our weekly hike plus wine – our Wi-king – was my favourite day of the week. Getting up early, setting out on a trail to get the blood pumping meanwhile enjoying nature was just great! Afterwards, you really feel like you earned your glorious wine and food. All homemade, farm-to-table, so fresh and mouthwatering! You sit back, relax and simply enjoy the beauty surrounding you! What’s not to love?
A big Thank You to our friend Anneliese who brought us to all of these amazing places and showed us the ropes! I hope we get to explore many more in the future.
Do you have a favourite wine estate with great hiking trails, fabulous wines and delicious food? Please, let us know in the comment section! We would surely love to give it a try!
I hope you enjoyed this little excursion into the Cape Winelands and maybe you’ll hop onto Wi-king trend! Join us again next week for more Slow Trail Adventures.
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Thanks again and until next time.
