Cape Wine Lands Tour Cruise Port Guide

Cape Wine Lands -- CPW-3

most beautiful wine-producing regions. Paarl and Stellenbosch were settled from the 1670s onwards when the small community at Cape Town began to expand into the surrounding area. Paarl Begin your day with a 45-minute drive to Paarl. Established in 1720 by the Dutch East India Company as a base from which people could cross the mountains into the interior, Paarl is after Stellenbosch the second most important town of the Winelands and the headquarters of KWV, the best known of South African wine labels abroad. Following a brief orientation of the town, you will visit KWV's cellars and enjoy tasting their outstanding wines.

Continue through one of the Winelands' loveliest parts, the Drakenstein Valley, to Franschhoek. Settled in 1688 by Huguenot refugees to whom the land was given as a grant, Franschhoek is one of the loveliest villages in the region. White-washed houses with thatched and slated roofs line its few streets, while the wine estates around the town are the most graceful in the region. Highlights here include a visit to the Huguenot Museum.

Next, your journey will take you to the heart of the Winelands, where the Cape's oldest wine estates are located. Stellenbosch's fine Cape Dutch buildings and oak-lined streets nestle in a natural bowl beneath jagged, forested mountains. Founded in 1679 as a frontier town on the banks of the Eerste River, Stellenbosch marks the beginning of the Wine Route and is noted for its restaurants and museums. Enjoy lunch at the Lanzerac Estate featuring Cape specialties, accompanied by wine. Afterwards there will be free time to explore the museums, galleries and shops of this lovely town before starting the journey back to Cape Town.