As sure as wine and cheese go together, the Cape Winelands is a destination that combines naturally with two wheels. After all, if you are there to taste wine then you certainly don’t want to be driving a car. And if you are going to eat all that yummy food that is an equal part of the Winelands experience, then it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to put in a little exercise too.
Touring the Cape Winelands by bike is fun: that’s what it was designed to be. Led by a professional guide, you’ll saddle up on your choice of a modern mountain bike or an electric bike (pedal assist) and make your way through a charming rural landscape. There are wine estates to visit and wine to taste of course, but also cheese and tapas platters to sample.
All fitness levels can be accommodated and there’s no need to bring anything or worry about equipment: this is easy riding and everything is supplied, from your helmet to a bottle of water and snacks. Distances covered range from between 10 and 15 kilometres (6 – 9 miles) for a half-day excursion and up to 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) on a full day tour – though this also includes e-bike tours.
Bike and wine tours are also informative, educational and they let you see another side to the region via the backroads and farm tracks. There are special family bike and wine tours too, complete with appropriate tastings for the children as well as the right size bike for them. If you have a non-pedalling toddler with you, then there are biking operators who supply bike trailers as well.
Should wine not be your thing, or if perhaps you are saving yourself for later, then a Cape Winelands bike tour doesn’t even need to involve wine. This is South Africa’s premier mountain biking destination and host to the world’s most prestigious (and gruelling) mountain bike race – the Cape Epic. Why not get a taste of what the Epic’s elite athletes experience and spend a morning riding single track and gravel roads in the Cape Mountains?
And if biking really is your thing, then combine the Cape Winelands with the nearby Whale Coast. Home to the world’s best land-based whale viewing in season, it’s an area of great natural beauty. Guests at the highly regarded Grootbos Private Reserve enjoy access to both easy MTB trails for beginners as well as singe track routes for experienced mountain bike riders.
Bike and wine tours can be enjoyed across the Cape Winelands. The famous wine towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, both about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, provide a large range of biking options and there are also great bike and wine excursions in the nearby Elgin Valley. If you are on a short Cape Town schedule and time doesn’t allow you to visit the Winelands out of town, then there are bike and wine tours in Cape Town’s Constantia Winelands, the historical centre of the Cape wine industry and just a short drive from the city.
