This is what I love about Cape Town: You think you know an area and suddenly, hidden and tucked away you’ll discover a world of unknown beauty. I actually discovered the Oude Molen Eco Village while looking for hay for my guinea pigs. Someone suggested I try this place as they have horses on their premises. So off we went, and when we got there we found the most amazing self-sufficient village, some business, a stable, a riding school, a children’s play area, a childrens school, a backpackers lodge and a café. So, of course, we sat down to enjoy some coffee in this beautiful village, and I even climbed the tree house!

I emailed them to learn a bit more and I got this reply from Linda Malone, which sums up what this interesting village, is all about:

Oude Molen Eco Village is to be found on the banks of the Black River, and is bordered by wetlands and paddocks which are home to a large herd of horses, many of which have been rescued. The Oude Molen refers to the first windmill built in South Africa in 1718. The Oude Molen no longer exists but the millstone remains – and is currently to be found in the garden of the Millstone Farmstall & Cafe. The Millstone which opened in 2007, serves excellent coffees, delicious wood fired breads, homemade preserves and jams and a great range of home baked butter biscuits and cakes. No artificial ingredients are used in any of the products and only butter and free range eggs or chickens are used. The garden is a great place for tired parents to enjoy a leisurely meal with a freshly squeezed juice or slice of cake while the children play happily in the garden or the tree house.

We ended up just having coffee but buying one of their homemade cheese and onion ciabattas to take home. The plan was to eat it for lunch but we had almost devoured the whole thing before we got home. Great to find a place that loves and appreciates the earth.