Image courtesy of zesty lemon & overberg honey co

Stanford is situated about 20 minutes outside of Hermanus in the Overberg region and about 2 and a half hours outside of Cape Town. For a complete list of activities in the Overberg Region, Please visit ActivityHub

Imagine a small quaint town on the banks of the Klein River that offers, gorgeous mountain views, vineyards, craft breweries, antique shops and loads of fun activities. If this sounds like the kind of place you want to escape to for your next staycation, then grab a glass of wine, read on and start planning your next trip to this incredible little town. Although quaint, the town is full of surprises. With names such as Stanford Trading Store, The New junk Shop or Junktique Market coupled with art galleries and fabulous restaurants, you can easily spend your day getting lost.

Don’t be fooled by its casual attitude, Stanford is jam packed full of experiences for the whole family and might just be one of the best weekend getaways you can imagine.

ACTIVITIES – STANFORD

Here is our choice of must visit experiences

AFRICAN HORSE COMPANY

Image Copyright of African Horse Co

For nature lovers, we suggest either a 1 hour or 2-hour mountain ride with African Horse Company that will take you through vineyards, forest and up to the foothills of the mountains.

PANTHERA AFRICA WILD CAT SANCTUARY

Image Copyright of Panthera Africa

Panthera Africa, is a Big Cat Sanctuary that focusses on creating awareness of around the conditions these majestic animals face whilst in captivity. You can be sure a visit here is for a good cause

LADY STANFORD RIVER CRUISE

Image Copyright of Lady Stanford

Prefer something a little more laid back? A trip on the Lady Stanford offers a tranquil leisurely cruise on the Klein River. Perfect for a picnic, sundowner or just to escape the hustle and bustle of the village.

ACTIVITIES IN DE KELDERS

A short drive out of Stanford, you will find the small town of De Kelders. De Kelders is the gateway to the Walker Bay Nature Reserve and offer some spectacular scenery. Our favourite activities in this area includes

FATBIKING

Image Copyright of Fatbike Tours

Adventure on magnificent dunes of the reserve coupled with incredible views over Walker Bay. If you are lucky, you might even spot one of the marine big 5

Gansbaai Walker Bay Nature Reserve 4 X 4 Coastal Safari

Image Copyright of Overlandy Adventure Tours

SUNDOWNERS ON A REMOTE BEACH! Need we say more.

With all this on offer, you will need to start planning your trip Stanford immediately. Starting with accommodation. Here are our top picks:

ACCOMMODATION

PHILLIPSKOP MOUNTAIN RESERVE

Image Copyright Phillipskop Mountain reserve

Situated about 10 minutes outside of Stanford, Phillipskop mountain reserve is perfect for families and nature lovers alike. With 5 chalets, each offering 3 bedrooms, there is enough space to bring the whole extended family with. The reserve offers a variety of activities for all ages including hiking routes among the indigenous fynbos, swimming, treasure hunts, fynbos education and even geocaching. The reserve is well known for its bird- and animal life and popular sightings include reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and arachnids. With all this you w

What we like

• Perfect for families and nature lovers
• Variety of activities for the whole family
• Fynbos reserve

THE STANFORD HOTEL

Is conveniently situated in the centre of town and is almost exactly as you would imagine it. Images of an old farm stead offering old world charm and hospitality spring to mind when describing the Stanford hotel. From bed and breakfast to self-catering, they are perfectly situated to make the most your village experience

What we like

• Conveniently situated in the centre of the village
• Close to shops and restaurants
• Old world charm

AFRICAMPS - STANFORD HILLS

What we like

• Situated on Stanford Hills Wine Estate
• Glamping at its best
• Rustic

MOSAIC LAGOON LODGE

• Situated on the banks of the Klein River Lagoon
• Perfect for a romantic get away
• All inclusive
• Spectacular views

RESTAURANTS

For a small town there is no shortage of places to dine. From restaurants in the village to surrounding wine estate, there is something for everyone’s taste

OUR TOP PICK IS: THE ZESTY LEMON

Image Copyright The Zesty lemon

Situated on the Sir Robert Stanford Wine Estate, the Zesty Lemon uses as much fresh produce as they can get their hands on with the majority harvested directly from their very own vegetable garden. Coupled with award winning wine from the estate they serve country chic South African food with a modern twist.

What we like

• South African stokbrood and a home-made Olive Jam with olives grown on the farm
• Picnics Around the Lily-pond with the most amazing views of the Overberg Mountains and Vineyards. Freshly prepared and set up ready for customers arrival
• Family friendly

GRAZE SLOW FOOD CAFE

What we like

• Situated in the village
• Locally sourced and grown
• Free range
• Fresh produce market on Wednesdays

OU MEUL BAKERY

What we like

• Fresh breads and pastries & artisanal coffee worthy of a Capetonian hipster

ARTISINAL

THE OVERBERG HONEY CO.

Image Copyright The Overberg Honey Co

The Overberg Honey Co is situated in the Stanford business park, just outside of the village. They have an open door policy and welcome all clients and visitors to experience the honey extraction facilities. Open any time between Monday & Saturday, you can follow the entire extraction process all the way through to bottling and provides great insight into honey production as well as the importance of bees.

The Honey shop is a firm favorite and not to be missed and offers nearly all honey products imaginable. From cosmetics, to sweets, to beekeeping equipment to mead.

The observations hive is open to visitors where they can ponder on which iof the incredible 16 different types of hone to take home

What we like

• All things Bees and Honey! What’s not to like?

THE JOLLY ROOSTER FYNBOS DISTILLERY

What we like

• The name
• Craft witblitz and Grappa Distillery infused with various flavours ranging from rooibos to apple
• Mediterranean cuisine

KLEIN RIVER CHEESE

What we like

• Picnics on the estate surrounded by incredible scenery
• Award Winning artisanal cheeses

WINE ESTATES

The surrounding areas are made up of picture-perfect vineyards, farmlands and lagoons offering award winning wines, craft beer and so much more. Our top picks are:

SIR ROBERT STANFORD WINE ESTATE

Image Copright Sir Robert Stanford Wine Estate

Situated just outside of Stanford, the estate is named after Robert Stanford who first owned the farm in the early 1800’s. Today you can expect farm style hospitality, award winning wines and plenty of quaint touches that will make you want to come back for more.

What we Like

• The Zesty lemon restaurant.
• A ride through the vineyards on an old tractor
• The Padstal

BIRKENHEAD BREWERY & WALKER BAY ESTATE

What we like

• Craft beer & fine wine
• One of the first craft breweries in South Africa
• The award winning “Lazy leopard Lager”

STANFORD HILLS

What we like

• Lazy lunches at The Tasting Room
• Indigenous Flowers
• Locally produced wines with tastings available at the Wine Shop

SPRINGFONTEIN WINE ESTATE

What we like

• Unique wine concepts exploring as they call it “the wild side of wine” Be sure to try the Pirate inspired “Daredevils Drums”
• Tapas and wines next to the fire at the Wine Bar(n)

With all this on offer, you will be excused for wanting to stay a little bit longer.