?The village roads are lined with oak trees and pretty little thatched and gabled houses, many of them dating back to the 19th century. When you walk or bike down one of the gravel side streets, you can almost imagine you’re back in the past, especially when you pass a few horses grazing undisturbed on the verges or notice the leiwater channels that supply irrigation water to the residents. Although the past decade or two have seen a lot of development, so far it has been sensitively handled to reflect the Cape vernacular style so there’s still a rustic, old-fashioned charm to the village.

Way back when, the Hessequa (a Khoi tribe) occupied the area and traded cattle with the Dutch East India Company. Later it became a farm called Weltevrede. In 1846, Herbert Vigne from London (whose previous claim to fame was that he was related by marriage to Lady Anne Barnard) bought the farm. He subdivided it into plots in 1854 and called the town Greyton after Cape Governor Sir George Grey.

Today, Greyton is just over a 90min drive south-east of Cape Town via the N2 and R406 (find it on Google Maps here). The route takes you past rolling fields that come to life when the yellow canola blooms in late July to mid-October.

Read on for my top picks of things to do in Greyton.

1. Visit Genadendal Moravian mission village

About 5km before you get to Greyton on the R406, take the well signpposted turnoff to Genadendal, the oldest Moravian mission village in Africa. Stroll under shady oak trees to see the church and a cluster of old buildings, including three museums. Genadendal was originally established in 1738, and the big church was built in 1891, replacing a smaller one that still stands nearby. The main museum building dates back to 1838 and was South Africa’s first teachers’ training college. Genadendal was also once an industrial town making knives and furniture. The missionaries did ground-breaking work in printing, architecture and music too, making it one of the most progressive communities in the Cape in the 19th century. Depending on how much you enjoy history, you could easily spend a few hours here.

Read more about our visit to Genadendal

2. Walk in the footsteps of history

One of the first things to do when you arrive in Greyton is to drop in to the Greyton Tourism Bureau at 29 Main Road to get a map of the village. Also ask for the historic village walk pamphlet, which will tell you about some of the oldest buildings, including one that predates the founding of the village in 1854. If they’re out of printed copies, they’ll Whatapp it to your phone.

Discover how many of the buildings you see today have a past. Find the old post office (now part of a guest house), the original school (now a restaurant), the old produce market (also now a restaurant), or a building that used to house police cells (now part of a lodge). You can also find a Moravian mission church, now sadly unkempt, and St Andrew’s Anglican church, built in 1904. Look out for the gravestone of Greyton’s founder, Herbert Vigne, in the church garden. It was relocated from a neglected cemetery in Caledon, where he died.

3. Enjoy hiking in the Greyton Nature Reserve

If you love the outdoors and are keen on hiking, there’s no question about what to do in Greyton; you’ll love the 2200ha nature reserve and Gobos River environs. Pop in to the Greyton Tourism Bureau at 29 Main Road to get a map of the trails or find it online here.

There are nine scenic hikes in the reserve, ranging from the 1.5km Noupoort Walk (one hour) to the 7km Gifkloof Trail (two hours) and 5km Maermanskloof Trail (three hours). Enjoy the birds, fynbos plants like ericas and restios, the rolling mountains and some wonderful views over the village, as well as a rock pool here or riverside trail there. You can discover some other trails here.

The reserve is open from sunrise to sunset and you’ll find the entrance at the far end of Park Street. Carry water with you and wear a hat. Know that cellphone signal in the reserve is patchy, with reception usually only on the higher areas. No pets are allowed in the reserve.

If you’re fit and looking for something more physically taxing, take to the Riviersonderend mountains for the 14km full-day Greyton to McGregor hike called the Boesmanskloof trail. Enjoy the scenery and views, the steep ravines, rock pools and waterfalls, the colourful fynbos. Along the way, you may spot Verreaux’s eagle, malachite sunbird and Cape sugarbird, perhaps even a klipspringer, baboon or dassie.

You’ll need to organise transport on the other side or sleep over and walk back over the mountain the next day, making a 28km two-day hike. I did this trail a few years back and can say that the McGregor to Greyton direction is easier than Greyton to McGregor. Make sure you carry plenty of water and if, like me, you don’t enjoy hiking in blistering heat, start early and avoid the mid-summer months.

For more info about the Boesmanskloof Trail, see ‘activities – hiking and walking’ at Cape Nature’s Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve. There’s also a 25.3km, two-day Genadendal Trail that starts and ends at the Moravian mission church in Genadendal. You need to make bookings for both these trails ahead of time through Cape Nature, tel 087 0878250 or email reservation.alert@capenature.co.za.

4. Go bird-watching

The nature reserve is an excellent place to take your binos for some bird-watching. Expect to see birds like black cuckoushrike, Cape robin, yellow canary, cardinal woodpecker, pintailed whydah, olive thrush, waxbills, yellow bishop, rameron pigeon, and spotted eagle owl. It’s also possible to spot malachite, double-collared and orange-breasted sunbirds as well as Cape sugarbirds feasting on the nectar of fynbos vegetation. Summer migrants to look out for include Diederick, Klaas’s and redchested cuckoos, and one of my favourite birds – the paradise flycatcher.

5. Go mountain biking

There are two ways to bike Greyton. The first, and to me more relaxing, is to bike along the village roads to see the sights and enjoy the pretty houses, gardens and shops, then stop at a restaurant for something to eat before rolling back to your accommodation.

Greyton is also a very popular mountain biking destination so for a more active option, take on one of the seven Greyton mountain bike trails. There’s something for everyone, from an easy 9.8km Forest ride with a total climb of just 28m that’s suitable for the whole family, to a 22.6km River Loop, 12km Luislang scenic route with some rocky climbs, all the way up to Bakenskop Black, a challenging 26km route with a total climb of 530m and some rocky descents suitable for advanced riders.

There are also six gravel routes varying from an easy 31km to intermediate loops, as well as a 70km loop for advanced riders, with a total climb of 800m.

Get maps and permits for a fee from the Hub & Spoke at 18 West Street. This is also the place to hire MTBs if you didn’t bring your own, or to get help at the workshop with fixing a bike problem. Enjoy a pre-ride breakfast or post-ride lunch at the coffeeshop. Find lots more info on Greytonmtb.co.za, where you can download GPX files and pay via Snapscan.

In September each year, you can participate in the 76km Pie Run Gravel Grinder MTB event from Greyton to Riviersonderend and back. If that’s too much, sign up for the 30km route instead. (For those who prefer trail running to mtb, there’s the Greyton Brew Run and Greyton Mountain Marathon.)

6. Go shopping

If you’re a chocoholic like me, the Von Geusau Chocolate shop in the Oak & Vigne courtyard is a must. It’s open every day. There’s a small selection of flavours to taste, and lots to buy, from truffles to white and milk chocolate bars. The highlights of this smooth Belgian chocolate for me were silky 70% dark chocolate bars with flavours like chilli, tonka bean, masala chai and lavender. My favourite was rose geranium, reminiscent of Turkish delight but not as sweet.

Other shops I love to explore are Greyton Books for good secondhand finds, Fiore Garden Centre for plants, and the Greyton Trading Post for a house stuffed with interesting furniture, crystal, porcelain and other collectables. You might even pick up a replica of Michelangelo’s David as a garden ornament. On our last visit my choice finds were a gorgeous yellowwood writing desk I wish I had space for in my home, and a Clarice Cliff jug for a steal.

7. Explore the art route

A number of artists and crafters have studios and galleries in Greyton, though you’ll be hard pressed to find many of them open during the week and some are by appointment only. On Saturdays, you can explore the village’s art route more easily. If this is your thing, ask at the Greyton Tourism Bureau at 29 Main Road for more details and a map of the art route.

There’s also an annual Greyton Art Walk event in November/December, when galleries and studios open from lunchtime on Friday to lunchtime on Sunday. The next one will be held from 1-3 December 2023. Expect to find some 60 artists exhibiting works for sale. Wander the streets to explore home studios, galleries, open-air venues, restaurants and cafes.

8. Taste craft beer

Visit the Old Potter’s Inn & Brewhouse in the Main Road to appreciate the 1830s double-storey building and enjoy a craft beer tasting from Wednesdays to Saturdays. Pay your fee and get five beers to taste. They have funky names like Cityslicker (pale ale), Rooinek (a malty amber ale), and Plaas Japie (a Belgian-style beer). Pub-style snacks are also available and if you go mid-week you might be lucky to muscle in on a ‘local evening’ with half-price beers.

9. Taste wine

Greyton wine estates – Andy Mitchell Wines, Delphin Wines, Lismore Vineyards, and Swallow Hill – aren’t on the scale of wineries in Stellenbosch and not as easily accessible. You can’t just drop in for wine tasting, but need to get organised ahead of time and make an appointment, although Lismore Wines does have a tasting room in the Oak & Vigne courtyard that’s open from 10:00 till 16:00 except on Tuesdays and Sundays. Second best if you want to taste other local wines without bothering with appointments is to pop in to the local OK, which carries a selection for you to buy.

There’s a Fire & Wine weekend in July and a Greyton Wine Weekend in November. Contact Greyton Tourism Bureau for dates and details. The Greyton Wine Club also hosts monthly tastings on Friday evenings, with supper.

10. Enjoy a morning market

Greyton village has two morning markets each week, a small produce market on Wednesdays, and a bigger Saturday morning market from 10:00-12:00 at Market Square opposite the Dutch Reformed church in Main Road. In times past, Market Square was where churchgoers coming from the countryside to town for communion used to outspan their wagons. At the market you can find anything from organic veggies to cheese, yoghurt, biltong, farm-fresh bread, cakes, and very popular pancakes. Those who don’t want to fill their tummies can browse secondhand books, as well as an array of arts and crafts.

11. Visit the donkey sanctuary

There’s a donkey sanctuary called EARS (Everyone’s Animal Rescue Society) just outside Greyton. It does good work with injured, abused or old donkeys and fosters a culture of caring for animals. Kids, especially, will love to visit the donkeys and hear their stories. Visiting hours are from 11:00 till 14:00 daily. Call Penny on 082-6606714 to prebook your visit. Find the sanctuary on the Middelplaas-Villiersdorp Road outside Greyton.

12. Eat out at Greyton restaurants

For a small town, there are a healthy number (around a dozen) of restaurants in Greyton so that even on busy weekends no one has to go hungry. We taste-tested three of them – the Oak & Vigne Café (succulent crumbed chicken, prego roll), Via’s Restaurant (seedbread toast with hummus and butternut, and spicy chicken on sourdough toast, both delicious, and yummy caramel cheesecake to finish), and Abbey Rose (tasty lamb shank, oxtail and an excellent crème brulée).

Other eateries in town include Pure Café (good choices for vegetarians and vegans), 1854, Vanilla Café, and Rupert’s Bistro. For the best coffee in town, visit Soa se Koffie at 39 Main Road, find her trailer at the Saturday Morning Market (see point 10), or enjoy a cup of Truth coffee at Maanskyn in Oak Street.

13. Visit the Greyton Rose and Garden Fair

Towards the end of October each year, there’s the Greyton Rose and Garden Fair on two successive weekends. If you’re in town, you can join the fun of the opening parade, visit the rose show and wander around some 20 gardens that open to the public so you can appreciate the beauty of these special flowers. All funds raised by the event go to ‘Put A Smile on A Child’ that supports children’s interests in the area.

14. Get married

Destination weddings are a big trend for those lucky enough to be able to afford them. Greyton has a number of wedding venues and services eager to help with your special day, whether you want town or country, large or small, formal or informal. For instance, the Oaks, Oewerzicht and Elandskloof are popular for bigger weddings, while the attractive gardens of guest houses and restaurants are perfect for smaller weddings.

15. Stay over at Greyton accommodation

With so much to do and see in Greyton, you’ll want to stay over for at least one or two nights. It’s the only way to enjoy the best parts of the day – a cool early morning walk along quiet streets, or toasting the sunset with a chilled glass of wine. Whether you’re looking for self-catering, B&B or full-service lodges, for budget, mid-range or luxury, Greyton has a wide range of choices. There are even private campsites along a river for those who want a frugal, close-to-nature stay. A good place to look for Greyton accommodation is the Greyton Tourism Bureau’s accommodation page.

Read about our stay at The Earthy Inn

Greyton’s climate
Greyton’s climate is warm and temperate, with rain all year round – the secret to its lush gardens. June, July and August are the wettest months with around 55-60mm of rain each, and there’s an annual total of around 515mm. December, January and February are the driest months, but each still has around 4-5 rainy days producing 30mm of rain.

The summer months of December, January and February are the hottest, with temperatures getting to around 28 or 29 degrees Celsius. June to August are the coldest months, with minimums of around 5 degrees, rising to 10-12 degrees during the day. A light dusting of snow may fall on the high mountains in winter, a good excuse to relax by a logfire with a glass of red wine or a mug of hot chocolate.

Best time to visit Greyton
December, January and February are the most popular months to visit Greyton, but that makes it too busy for me. There’s more hustle and bustle, with the result that I believe it loses its small-town magic. But mine is obviously not the majority opinion. Special events like the Rose and Garden Fair in October (see point 13), the Pie Run Gravel Grinder MTB event in September (see point 5), and the Art Walk in November/December (see point 7) also bring in more people, so if you’re looking for a quiet getaway you might want to avoid those weekends. But they definitely bring an appealing buzz and excitement to town and open up opportunities to visit places not usually open to the public.

Given that Greyton is only about 140km (an hour and 30-40 minutes’ drive) from Cape Town, it’s understandably a very popular weekend getaway. At weekends, all the shops and restaurants are open. If you travel mid-week, things will be quieter but some shops and restaurants will be closed while the staff take their post-weekend break.

The ’best’ time to visit depends on what kind of experience you’re hoping for. Although the months of high-summer are hugely popular, as I’ve already noted, my favourites are the shoulder season months of March and April, before the cold really starts to get a grip, or September and October when the winter rains have died down and you get balmy days of around 22-24 degrees Celsius and some 8-9 hours of sun.

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