Along with great wine, Stellenbosch has numerous areas to hike, but you can’t exactly start hiking through just anybody’s vineyard.
However, you can hike pretty close to the vineyards and find some other great places for scenic views.
Vintners’ Route
One of the best places for seeing some of the vineyards is going on the Vintners’ Route. It’s situated on SylvanVale Wine estate, in the heart of Devon Valley.
From Stellenbosch, just take the R30 towards Cape and turn onto Devon Valley Road. Follow the trail all the way to the Devon Valley Hotel main entrance.
Next, you’ll need to get a permit and a map from reception at the hotel, for a low R25.
Once you start up the trail, there are red trail markers throughout, it’s about a 5km hike, and should take you around an hour and a half.
Mountain Route
At the same hotel, you can also choose to go on a mountain route that is a bit more difficult.
This version is about 15km, and will take you about 5 to 6 hours to finish, but the views over the Devon Valley are well worth the journey.
Follow the green markers and make sure you come prepared, this hike is not for people who aren’t used to hiking.
Swartboskloof-Sosyskloof Hiking Trail
For something a bit away from the vineyards, head over to the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve to hike the Swartboskloof-Sosyskloof hiking trail, about 9km east of Stellenbosch.
To get there, take Jonkershoek Road past the Lanzerac Hotel & Spa and follow the road until you get the gate, where you’ll need to get a permit.
From the gate, take the gravel road and keep to the fork at the right for 3km until you see the parking area, where you’ll also find the starting point of the route.
The path is about 5-7km depending on how you go, and should take around 2-3 hours and give you incredible views along the way.
