Waterfront to Paarl to Wellington
In a nutshell, this self-drive route from the V&A Waterfront to the Cape Winelands, will take you to various stops for cheese, wine and olive tastings. This full day itinerary includes amazing wine estates, farms and shops to explore, so get your taste buds ready for a one-in-a-lifetime experience.
Waterfront to Anura - 30min
From your accommodation at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, turn left onto the highway and keep following signs for N1 Paarl. At about 45 km take Exit 47, R44 Stellenbosch, Klapmuts, and turn right at the stop. At 46.6 km, turn left to R45 Franschhoek. Your first stop, The Forest Hill Cheesery at Anura, is 600m along this road.
At Anura, they welcome you into a lovely tasting room with long oak tables overlooking the barrel room and green lawns. Get comfortable, as there are plenty of cheeses to taste on your South African holiday.
The Forest Hill Cheesery at Anura specialises in white mould cheeses - brie and camembert - using Jersey milk from Rustenberg and Ayrshire milk from Glen Carlou. Make space for their flavoured bries, with green figs, green peppercorns, chives or apricots soaked in port. All are made using non-animal rennet.
Detour to Fairview
Turn right out of Anura. Then left onto the Simonsvlei Road, which is gravel. At about 4.8km, T-junction right onto the R101 (tar). At 5.4 km, turn left onto the Suid-Agter Paarl Road, signed to Seidelberg, Ruitersvlei. Cross the highway. Fairview is on the right at 7.7 km.
You’ll quickly see that goats are king at Fairview. You'll park beneath their snooty stares from the trademark goat tower, before going inside to taste a huge range of award-winning cheeses made from both goats' and cows' milk, alongside even more award-winning wines.
Be sure to taste some camembert along with plenty of chevins, white moulds and blue cheeses and even a 'white' blue without the blue vein. They're all available in a comprehensive cheese shop that also sells tasting platters of seven styles if you can't make up your mind.
Fairview to Lust Bistro
Turn left out of Fairview. At the T-junction turn right on to the R101, Kraaifontein. After 600m turn left onto Simonsvlei Road and left again at the T-junction onto tar. At 11.5 km turn into Vrede en Lust.
Lust Bistro is a decadent deli and restaurant on the Vrede en Lust estate. Aside from a smorgasbord of between 50 and 60 local cheeses, along with the pick of olives and olive oils, you'll battle to leave without stocking up on other delicious goodies that go with cheese, like chilli jams, pestos, pickled brinjals, orange roll and fig preserves. The restaurant serves light meals in a lovely outdoor area with a jungle gym for the kids.
Paarl to Hildenbrand
Continue along the main street as it doglegs right then left. At traffic lights (about 13.5km) turn right into Optenhorst Road to Wellington, Paarl East. Cross two bridges, at next lights turn left onto R301. As road curves left into Wellington (about 23.5km) turn right into Blouvlei Road, signed for Klein Rhebokskloof. Turn into Hildenbrand Wine and Olive Estate at about 28.5km - it's easy to overshoot.
Hildenbrand Wine and Olive Estate is a charmingly haphazard cluster of ancient Cape Dutch buildings set in beautiful gardens. Klein Rhebokskloof is the birthplace of the South African olive industry as the country's first orchard for production was planted on this farm in 1893.
Hildenbrand to Bovlei and Rhebokskloof
Turn left out of Hildenbrand. At 2.8 km T-junction right on R301. Bovlei is on the right at 4.6km. From Boveli, retrace your route into Wellington. T-junction left at the church. At about 9 km, turn right at the traffic lights R44 Kaapstad (Cape Town) into Champagne Street. At about 18 km turn left into Rhebokskloof, or continue straight on to about 27 km, turn left into Suid-Agter Paarl Road. Bovlei's cellar is right on the road, offering a good range of easy drinking, quality wines.
En route stop at Rhebokskloof for wines suiting all tastes and pockets. The estate is set amid fruit orchards and vineyards and surrounded by fynbos. Your drive back to your great accommodation at the V&A Waterfront will be scenic and peaceful as the sun sets. Enjoy an elegant dinner at the Waterfront before retiring for the evening at your chosen accommodation.
Self drive routes from Cape Town invite visitors to the Mother City to experience the natural splendour, fun activities and scenic attractio...