A weekend away from Cape Town: why locals choose the Riebeek Valley
No long drive, no traffic jams on the way back, and a completely different pace once you arrive.
For anyone living in Cape Town, the Riebeek Valley is the easiest real escape there is. It is roughly an hour's drive, so you can leave after work on Friday and be sitting on a stoep with a glass of wine before dark.
What makes it different from the better-known winelands is the scale. Riebeek Kasteel is a village, not a town. You park the car and walk: to the square, to a gallery, to dinner. There is no rush, and on a Sunday morning the loudest sound is often the church bell.
The valley also feels more rural. Instead of manicured estates, you drive past wheat fields, sheep and dryland vineyards. Many of the wineries are still family-run, and it is not unusual for the winemaker to pour your tasting.
A good weekend here needs little planning. Friday night: dinner on the square. Saturday: a wine or olive tasting in the morning, lunch on a farm, a nap by the pool and a braai in the evening. Sunday: a walk in the vineyards, breakfast in the village and a slow drive home over the Bothmaskloof Pass.
Most of the stays listed on Stay in Riebeek are in or right next to the village, so you can park once on Friday and walk everywhere until Sunday. Pick one with a pool for summer or a fireplace for winter, and the weekend starts the moment you unlock the door.
