Product Description

Grabouw and the Elgin Valley is well known for its scenery, juicy apples and flowers, but visitors can expect much more – there are meandering routes to wine farms, farm experiences and places to stay, restaurants that offer hearty fare as well as fine dining, and a myriad of outdoor activities for the whole family. Those willing to get off the beaten track will be rewarded with an experience that is well worth the detour.

EXPERIENCE OUR MAGIC

Fruit Farming

The history of apple farming in Grabouw and the Elgin Valley stretches as far back as the early 1900’s. Today, Grabouw and Elgin Valley is renowned for farming apples, pears, persimmons, blueberries and cut-flowers that are enjoyed both locally within South Africa and worldwide.

Wines

Our Valleys cool climate and high altitude offers vineyards the perfect growing conditions. Cold and rainy winters are followed by summers that bring cool sea breezes. In the vine, the grapes’ ripening time is long and slow – yielding crops that have a low pH, a natural acidity and a wide range of flavours that are yet perfectly balanced.

Exploring Nature

Fynbos is a type of vegetation that belongs to a floral kingdom that is the smallest and richest in the world. That means that wherever you go in the Cape Floral Kingdom, you’re likely to see flowers – and lots of them. Grabouw and the Elgin Valley is no exception.

The best way to appreciate the fynbos in Grabouw and the Elgin Valley is on a hike, a nature walk, The Kogelberg Biosphere is widely considered as the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom for its variety of fynbos, and has been granted a UNESCO heritage site for its complex and rich range of biodiversity. It’s a protected area, but several activities are allowed. Animals in the reserve include smaller antelope, baboons, porcupine, mongoose and dassies. Birdwatchers with an interest in raptors can try and spot Peregrine Falcons, Black Eagles and Fish Eagles that hunt and nest in the reserve. The Hottentots-Holland Nature Reserve has rare and endemic mountain fynbos, as well as rare Cape Mountain Zebra and several types of antelope.

Outdoor Adventures

There is no shortage of activities for fans of adventure and the outdoors in Grabouw and the Elgin Valley. There are several day and overnight hiking and slackpacking trails, as well as 4×4 adventure trails, river cruises, ziplining and Segway tours.

Visitors can go bass and trout fishing at a number of farms, wine estates and accommodation establishments in Grabouw and the Elgin Valley.

Mountain Biking

Grabouw and the Elgin Valley has a variety of easy and challenging mountain bike trails for both beginners and seasoned riders. Most offer a good mix of rocky and smooth terrain, and there are trails to suit riders with different levels of fitness and experience. The valley also has demanding single-track trails that are popular with experienced riders, and also form part of well-known MTB races like ABSA Cape Epic and the Wines2Whales MTB race.

Elgin Valley for kids

If space to run, trees to climb and places to swim are essential to make you kids happy, then Grabouw and the Elgin Valley is a good place to bring the family. There are plenty of special spots around that offer a range of activities from mountain bike pump tracks, climbing walls, ziplining adventures to jungle gyms and picnic areas that promise to keep children happy doing what they love most – play and have fun!