Get out of Cape Town

If you’re in the Mother City and have had enough of the tourists at the V&A, ridden the cable car and tanned at Clifton, it’s time to jump behind the wheel and get out of the city for the day. Head up the R27 into the timewarp that is the West Coast, or drive along the Peninsula out to Cape Point so close to town, so far removed. Head into the winelands for a day fuelled by the Boland’s finest, or drive the four passes, even the locals have forgotten this one. By Jazz Kuschke and Scott Ramsay.

1. AROUND THE CAPE PENINSULA

Stretching from the Mother City to Cape Point, the iconic Cape Peninsula is perhaps the most dramatic natural spectacle in South Africa. Beyond the amazing views, its real attraction is the way it defines the lives of the locals.

Start off the day with a sunrise walk on Muizenberg (see page 80), a beach on False Bay’s western shores. Then follow the railway line to the bohemian, palm-reading enclave of Kalk Bay. Go down to the harbour and buy some bokkems from fisherman Angel Davids, who reckons everyone should taste, at least once, dried snoek with a ‘koppikoffie’. Otherwise, suck on a smoothie at Olympia Caf (021-788-6396), where hungover locals congregate to enjoy their first cigarette of the day. Walk along Kalk Bay main road past the antique shops and art galleries, not forgetting to enjoy a pint of draught at the sea-sprayed Brass Bell (021-788-5456). Watch the surfers catch the clean wave on Kalk Bay reef, or have a swim in the restaurant’s tidal pool.

Black tie for the beach
Drive through Fish Hoek to Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town’s (021-786-2329) where hundreds of African penguins sunbathe in their feathery tuxedoes. You can observe them from the beaches, or from the water with Real Cape Adventures who conduct two-hour kayak tours (082-501-8930). For more excitable folk, African Shark Eco Charters (082-567-8915) and Apex Shark Expeditions (021-788-1863) will organise an excursion to see one of the now-famous breaching great whites off Seal Island.

For something sedate, try Just Nuisance Tours (021-786-2136), a historical boat trip around the old naval base at Simon’s Bay. Afterwards stretch your legs with some tai chi on the beach (073-670-8047).

Shipwrecks and fynbos
Cape Point has 1 100 indigenous plant species, as well as 23 shipwrecks, two of which can be reached from Olifantsbos. The Friends of the Cape of Good Hope (021-785-3928) conduct guided walks on the third Sunday of every month, and the Table Mountain National Park volunteers (021-782-1375) do the same on the second Sunday (both at no charge). Afterwards, order a picnic from Two Oceans Restaurant (021-780-9200) and head down away from the bussed-in hordes (and hungry baboons!) to Dias Beach just below the car park.

Eating ostriches, riding camels
Driving back north along the western coast, check out Cape Point Ostrich Farm (021-780-9294) and try some braaied ostrich fillets. Then meander through the quaint conservation-minded villages of Scarborough and Misty Cliffs. Further along, in Kommetjie, Fisherman’s Restaurant (021-783-1496) will make guests a take-away crayfish to enjoy on Longbeach, another surfing hotspot, just two minutes down the road.

At Imhoff Farm take a half-hour camel ride (021-789-1711) don’t worry, the camels are tethered to each other to prevent them galloping back to the Sahara. While you’re at Imhoff, buy a custom-designed surfboard from Dreamshop’s Pierre de Villiers (021-783-2081), who’ll regale customers with tales of spearfishing for yellow-fin tuna off Cape Point.

Arguably the windiest beach on the peninsula, Noordhoek is a few hundred metres wide, four kilometres long and endearing only when the southeaster’s not howling. In January the wind is usually co-operative, so go for a horse ride at Sleepy Hollow (021-789-2341).

From Noordhoek, cruise over Chapman’s Peak Drive, the famous nine kilometre road that has more curves (114 exactly) than a sun-kissed body on the nudist beach at Sandy Bay just beyond Hout Bay. Closed for a few years due to rock falls, today this toll road is protected by huge mesh and concrete overhangs. The engineering is fantastical and the views are even more so.

Sitting on the dock of the bay
Pop by Hout Bay for some afternoon tea at harbour-side Lookout Deck (021-790-0900), then head past Llandudno, the beach locals most want to be kept secret, and popular for sundowner picnics. From there, the sweeping tarmac hugs the western seaboard of the peninsula. Drive up to the bottom of Lion’s Head. Every day of the year, locals make the 40 minute pilgrimage (30 minutes if you run!) to the top to admire what many Capetonians believe is the unsurpassed view of the peninsula.

Slake your thirst with a mojito cocktail at hip and happening La Med (021-438-6300), marking the time the sun slips below the ocean’s horizon. For dinner, head to Docks Restaurant (021-418-2200) at the Waterfront for a seafood platter, and waste some time as the ships go by within touching distance.

2. WINE ROUTES

Wine tasting is not reserved for those who can tell their Chardonnays from their Chenin Blancs. Head to the right cellars and there’s fun to be had for any Joe Street who enjoys having a glass in hand and absorbing some of the incomparable Cape Dutch hospitality and culture. Here are our five favourites.

A surprising red at Blaauwklippen
From Cape Town it’s an easy 45-minute drive along the N2 (take the coastal R310 out of Muizenburg for a seaside ride) and then the R44 from Somerset West to this historic wine farm. It’s set on the slopes in the corner between the Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountains. Like a smooth Cape blend, care has been taken to merge the new additions (such as the tasting room) with the immaculately restored manor house and other original buildings, some dating back to 1692. Specialising in reds, the fruity Zinfandel is perhaps their flagship offering. It’s a favourite among American visitors, some of whom are surprised that it’s a red they make the famous California white by not giving this red cultivar any skin contact. If you’ve had a glass too many and need some fresh air, take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the vineyards (also a great diversion for those not yet of wine-enjoying age), or cruise through the carriage museum. Check-out the range of wines named after a type of carriage, the landau. 021-880-0133, http://www.-blaauwklippen.com.

Intimate Camberley
From Blaauwklippen take the R44 into Stellenbosch, drive up Dorp Street and have coffee among the chatty tourists and lazy students, then head along the R310 over Helshoogte Pass towards Franschhoek.

You’d probably miss the nondescript turn-off to Camberley if you weren’t looking out for it and this sets the tone for a wine tasting that feels more like a visit to the home of old friends. The guest book reads “homely and friendly” in all the ways you could write it, but hardly does it justice the cellar forms part of the house and the upstairs tasting room could pass for a lounge. With only just more than two hectares under vine, Camberley’s wines receive the same intimate and personal treatment drinkers do. Their 2004 Pinotage was awarded a double gold at the last Veritas awards.

For the Pinotage to settle, take a stroll through the spectacular gardens once featured on garden guru Keith Kirsten’s television show. 021-885-1176.

Bread and Wine at Mreson
Wine tasting is hard work, and after a carriage ride and the Camberley house call, it would probably be time for lunch. At the T-junction at the bottom of the Franschhoek Valley, turn right towards Franschhoek. Cross the Berg River and, after a few kilometres, turn right again into Happy Valley Road towards Mreson.

Mreson’s restaurant, aptly named Bread and Wine (021-876-3692), is classy in that Franschhoek tradition, but not over-priced and uptight. Go in your beach togs and sit outside under the trees enjoying a platter of cold meats, cheese and breads, accompanied by the flagship Chardonnay (of course).

If you’re lucky you might get to see a sabrage display opening a bottle of bubbly with a sabre. And not just any sparkling wine, but a genuine Mthode Cap Classique that’s made with the same recipe as the great sparklers of Champagne. 021-876-3055, http://www.moreson.co.za.

Goats and cheese at Fairview
For after-lunch cheese, some fun for the kids and a sur-prisingly large selection of quality wines (including some refreshingly new cultivars such as Viognier and Mourvedre, and a fascinating Caldera blend) head to Fairview. From Mreson backtrack a few kays along the R303 towards Paarl.

They make wine on an astounding scale here 1,9 million bottles and 1 500 tons of fruit a year, for a selection of 45 wines, although standing in the tasting room or earthy Goatshed (the restaurant) you’d never know this. Charismatic owner Charles Back (voted international wine personality of 2005) has succeeded in retaining the family, farm-style vibe of a much smaller cellar.

Fairview’s wines are complemented with their famous farm-style goat’s cheeses. A few of the goat herd live the easy life on the much-photographed, kiddie-attracting goat tower. 021-863-2450, http://www.fairview.co.za.

Final stop Durbanville Hills
From the Suid-agter Paarl area of Fairview, head back towards Cape Town along the N1. Take the Tygervalley turn-off (R302) and follow the road out of town, it becomes the M13 to Durbanville Hills to watch the sun set over Table Bay and Robben Island. Sipping a premium Luuiperdberg Merlot or a Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc on a second storey deck is a fitting way to end a tour of the winelands. The tasting room closes at 16h30, but stay for dinner at the restaurant (@ the Hills) and a night cellar tour. From here it’s just 20 minutes back to Cape Town city centre. 021-558-1300, http://www.durbanville-hills.com.

3. FOUR PASSES AND A LEGEND

It’s easy to get nostalgic when standing at the top of the little rocky peak, high above the pesky troop of beggar baboons and the usual views of the main lookout point on Sir Lowry’s Pass. In fact, it could’ve been the place GK Chesterton had in mind when he penned the words, “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on a foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” You see, the locals will tell you that it’s just the highway out of the Cape gateway to the Hermanus weekend or Garden Route holiday beyond. Ironically that’s why it was originally called the Gantouwpas (pass of the Eland) for centuries migrating herds used the trail, later it became the earliest wagon route into the hinterland (Overberg) and is now a national monument. What they won’t tell you is that Sir Lowry’s Pass (built a little to the south of the original track and named in 1830 after Governor of the Cape, Sir Lowry Cole) is a spectacular outing, especially when taken as part of a 200-odd kilometre round trip known as the Four Passes Route, sometimes also called the Fruit Route. It’s a journey not to be rushed, 200 kilometres affords ample time to stop, eat and stare in a day.

Boerewors and apples
Over Sir Lowry’s, carry on along the N2, past the Steenbras Reservoir to the Orchard Farm Stall (on the corner of the N2 and R321) for a brunch snack after your short climb home-baked pies, fresh croissants, preserves and coffee. This is fare best enjoyed on the stoep while the kids play on the jungle gym. Before tackling the next leg of the trip onward to tick off pass number two stock up on farm stall goodies for padkos such as biltong, fruit and sweets. Also check out Wildekrans wine shop and art gallery (at the Orchard) 021-859-5587.

Although famous for Grabouw boerewors, don’t expect to see any cattle or that friendly small-town butchery (or many trees) in the town that is often confusingly called Elgin (pronounced with a soft ‘g’). Elgin is the name of the region, of which Grabouw is the centre.

This is apple country. The R321 towards Viljoen’s Pass and Villiersdorp is bordered on both sides with orchards Golden Delicious, Top Red, Granny Smith, Royal Gala, this high valley produces nearly 60 per cent of South Africa’s apples. In spring, the blossommed trees invite a snooze in the shade, in the summer the fruits are for sale everywhere along the road.

A famous Viljoen
Named after Anthonie Viljoen the first apple grower in Elgin and father of 23 children Viljoen’s Pass is a short, seldom-travelled (except by farmers) hop between Elgin and Villiersdorp. It traverses the Groenland Mountains, into the Riviersonderend Valley and while there’s only one obvious lookout point, the views are worth pulling off the road anywhere (make sure you won’t inconvenience other drivers though). Look back towards Eikenhof Dam as you enter the pass and, over the top of the Don-kerhoek Mountains, on the business end (steep, twisty section) of the pass, towards Theewaterskloof Dam.

The dam dominates the valley and is a favourite among water-sport enthusiasts and bass fishers. It’s also a great place for a midday dip. Just before Villiersdorp, take the Hermanus turn-off to the right and follow the signs to the Theewaterskloof Sports Club.

An Elephant road (and trout) in the French quarter
Another road built along an old migration route of animals once called the Olifantspad (Elephants Road) the R45 will take you from Villiersdorp over the Franschhoek Mountains and down to the Drakenstein Valley and the town of Franschhoek beyond. There are ample lookout points along the curvy Franschhoek Pass. While marvelling at the beautiful valley imagine the extra-ordinary feat of engineering it took to thread the road through the mountains.

Once in town, you can shun the usual Franschhoek touristy do-and-see (such as the Huguenot Monument, and if you’re watching your weight the many fine restaurants) and go fly-fishing at Dewdale trout farm, seven kilometres along the Robertsvlei road out of town (021-876-2755). Situated on the upper reaches of the Berg River, it has a series of small, linked ponds and access to private beats on the river. Novices (or rod-less pros) can rent rods and the smaller fish are not hard to catch. Renting a rod costs R30, fishing for the day R70 and flies are R5 each. Should you want to keep your catch for dinner, it’s R30 a kilogram.

Berries and to the ‘Bosch
A small valley at the eastern end of the Helshoogte Pass used to be called Banghoek (fearful corner) by early travellers, as it was the haunt of dangerous animals. Today the only scary thing you will find at the bottom of the Helshoogte Pass, which snakes up between the Simonsberg, Groot Drakenstein and Wemmershoek mountains, is the size of the cheesecake at the Hillcrest Berry Farm (021-885-1629). Sit on the terrace and enjoy the photographic mountain views while trying to finish your slice. Or browse through the deli for interesting goodies, which mainly revolve around berries. There are also many excellent wine farms along this stretch of the journey. From here it’s 10 kilometres along the R310 to Stellenbosch.

4. WEST COAST

The West Coast is unapologetic about its authenticity, its locals preferring to work the farmland than sell curios. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty for tourists to see and do.

Let’s do Darling
The home of modern South Africa’s humour, Darling was made famous by Pieter-Dirk Uys, better known as political satirist Evita Bezuidenhout. Eat breakfast at Evita se Perron (022-492-2831), before browsing the artworks and the Boerassic Park sculptures at Evita’s Arts and Crafts. At the other end of the humour spectrum, but interesting nevertheless, is Darling Museum (022-492-3361). Most of the artefacts on display are personal donations.

From the vineyards and wheatfields, drive down to the coast at Yzerfontein. The stormy beach is lekker long (25 kilometres) and gives parents a chance to let their kids run riot. Next stop is West Coast National Park, where gourmands and gourmets alike can enjoy some quintessential South Africa cuisine at Geelbek Restaurant (022-772-2134). Can’t get a table? Order a picnic (the ostrich burger is recommended) and cruise round the lagoon to savour it on the beach at Kraal Bay, where the world’s oldest fossilised human footprint (dating back 117 000 years) was found.

Seaside cuisine
The whitewashed fishing cottages of Paternoster have become emblematic of the region. Stop by Voorstrand Restaurant (022-752-2038) whose name describes its location aptly the stoep fronts onto the beach. Order the ‘Visbord’, a platter with three different fish and three different sauces.

On extricating yourself from this sleepy village, stop by Paternoster se Padstal (082-541-9007), whose owner Hettie Lindeque makes a particularly piquant batch of pickled mussels unforgettable and very moreish.

Clear days in Aurora
Drive through Stompneusbaai and St Helena Bay, over the Berg River to Aurora, almost famous for one delightfully obscure reason. In 1752 the Abbe de la Caille was sent from France to Cape Town to determine, among other tasks, the shape of our planet.

He chose this tiny town (the name of which means ‘dawn light’) as his most northerly point in his calculations. His results showed that the globe was not round, but pear-shaped, more curved in the southern hemisphere than the northern. Only later did he realise that the magnetic effect of nearby Piketberg had effected his calculations.

If time is no problem, drive to the top of these mountains, following the 15 kilometre gravel road (it’s in need of a good grading!) that turns off the road to Redelingshuys. Follow the signs to the log cabins at Mountain Mist (022-952-1750), a secret, isolated mountaintop land. If the atmospheric conditions are not too hazy, it’s possible to see Table Mountain more than 150 kilometres to the south.

Chilling in waterfalls
Head east across the N7 to Porterville. Set against the backdrop of the Grootwintershoek Mountains and bedecked with grapes and wheat, this pastoral town is becoming a favourite weekend getaway for city dwellers. Join the Tour de Ville (022-931-3732), which for R150 includes a picnic breakfast, a museum visit, restaurant lunch, wine tasting and a visit to the rare disa flowers that blossom only once a year during the middle of summer.

Cool off from the West Coast heat in the rock pools and waterfalls on the Farm Waterval (082-878-1358), a 10-minute drive just north of Porterville. The owners have built wooden ladders to make it easy to walk up the narrow, shaded gorge, carved out by 22 icy-cold plunging waterfalls. The first is only a few minutes walk from the bottom and has a sizeable rock pool in which to swim.

The exercise will bolster your appetite, which can be suitably satisfied at Koppikofi (022-931-3877), an all-day outdoors restaurant on Voortrekker Street that serves a wide-ranging, kids-friendly menu.

Riebeek Valley
Olive trees and vineyards dominate the landscaping around Riebeek Kasteel, so swing by the old farm of Kloovenburg (022-448-1635), where olives and quality red and white wines can be tasted under shady oak trees. Also in the area are Riebeek Cellar (022-448-1213) and historic Allesverloren (022-461-2320). Head down to Kasteelberg Country Inn (022-448-1110) on the town square for coffee and cheesecake.

On your return trip to Cape Town, leave at least an hour to get to Bloubergstrand for a drink and meal at The Blue Peter (021-554-1956). Lie on the grass bank, and lap up the buzz at this popular viewpoint of Table Mountain.