Skip to main content

Explore the vineyards at Groot Constantia with your family, including your dog

On Saturday we took Kygo, our rottweiler, for a walk at Groot Constantia. The estate was established in 1685 and is Cape Town’s oldest wine producing farm. It offers the most picturesque views of the vineyards and the mountains. The great news is that the estate is dog friendly (provided your pooch is on a lead) and you can wander on the designated paths on the estate between 8am and 5pm, 7 days a week.

Kygo and I at the Groot Constantia Estate


Groot Constantia offers amazing views and a fun-filled adventure




Elephant's Eye in the distance


Waleed and Kygo enjoying the stroll through the vineyards

The estate is extremely popular with many people enjoying a trail run or a walk with the family. It also attracts lots of tourists with the sightseeing red bus passing through. 

When you’ve entered the estate and parked, you can follow the tree-lined path that leads to the Iziko Museum where you can learn about the estate’s fascinating history. Behind it, there are two shallow ponds where we saw some ducks swimming with their ducklings. 


There are spectacular spots for pictures


The pond behind the museum

There are two restaurants on the estate, Simon’s and Jonkershuis who both have breakfast on offer after a morning walk. Simon’s also provides picnic baskets, which you can enjoy in the shade provided by the lush trees. 

A 4km adventure through the vineyards

We walked just before noon and it was quite hot. The orchards are beautiful, with rows and rows of bright green vines housing bunches of dark purple grapes. You are not allowed to eat these, as it is used to make their award-winning wines. 

grapes galore

A walk through the vineyards while enjoying the majestic mountain views

There are some nice spots where you can take a break and enjoy the shade of an old oak tree. Remember to wear a hat and sunscreen. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a collapsible bowl for your dog, so that you can stay hydrated. The restaurants are dog-friendly too and have water bowls readily available. 

Kygo taking a water break as a trail runner passes by


Some bright pink Sugarbushes in the foreground and you can see all the way to Gordon's Bay

What goes up must come down...


We completed a 4km loop around the vineyards and some of the terrain is quite hilly. After our walk, Kygo had a refreshing dip in the pond behind the museum. Of course, he used the one without any inhabitants :) 

Doing a leopard crawl in the pond



Have you been for a walk at Groot Constantia? Drop me a comment and share your views. 

Feel free to share the link to this blog with anyone looking for a new, dog-friendly place to explore.

You can follow our adventures with Kygo on Instagram or Facebook. 

Stay safe and take care,

Imtithaal

Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 07, 2024 9:41 AM

    Hi There. I’m looking for a place where I can walk my two reactive dogs in Cape Town.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I'd like to hear what you think about my posts, so leave me a comment...

Popular posts from this blog

10 fun, kid-friendly things to do in Cape Town

I'm lucky enough to call Cape Town home and sometimes I feel like we become immune to its beauty. So recently, when we had visitors from overseas I had to come up with a couple of things to do in and around the city that was one, kid-friendly and two, fun enough for the accompanying adults. When you have kids, you need to plan and prepare for the day ahead, which needs to factor in naps, snacks and stroller-accommodating terrain. What is Cape Town renowned for? Well the appeal is its natural beauty. We are fortunate to have mountain and ocean views, which lends itself to lots of activities that don't cost an arm and a leg. If you are looking for ways to entertain your kids over the holidays, why not try some of these fun-filled activities... 1. Zipline over the valleys in Constantia You can look forward to a ride in a rugged Jeep up the steep mountain ascent Located just opposite Constantia Nek in the Silvermist Private Estate, is the base from where Cape T...
17 comments
Read more

The dog friendly trail from Lions Head to Signal Hill offers majestic views

One of the positive unintended consequences of Lockdown is that many people have rediscovered the outdoors and are enjoying the benefits of being in nature, both for their physical health and their mental wellbeing. And while this is great, many of the mountain trails have become congested and even more popular than our shopping malls used to be. With rows of cars stretching for kilometres before you reach the trail’s starting point. A good way to avoid the crowds is to start early and to do a less popular trail.  Waleed, Kygo and The Lion We did a 4km trail at the back of Lions Head to Signal Hill. This is a great alternative to Lions Head, especially with Kygo (our rottweiler), as he won’t be able to manoeuvre over the big rocks and up the ladders. We started the trail in a parking area where you’ll find a small white, green and gold building. It is known as the  Kramat of Shaykh Mohamed Hassen . A kramat is a shrine where holy men of Islam are buried. According to  SA ...
1 comment
Read more

Have you tried the Silvermine River Walk?

Most people who know or follow me on Insta , are aware that most of my Sundays (sometimes Saturdays) are spent in Silvermine Nature Reserve , which is part of the Sanparks Table Mountain National Park. Where is Silvermine Nature Reserve? If you are travelling on the M3 towards Muizenberg, you turn right at the end of the road to take Ou Kaapse Weg on the way to Noordhoek. As you ascend the incline, the road will take a sharp right and Silvermine Nature Reserve Gate 1 is on the right hand side. If you are somewhat puzzled by my directions, just Google Maps it! How much does it cost? There is an entrance fee of R35 per adult and R15 per child. If you have a four-legged, furry friend, they charge R70 for the dog and an accompanying adult. Waleed and I used to pay these fees weekly, until we got a couples' Wildcard (which provides unlimited entries into any of the parks or reserves) and a My Activity Permit for Kygo (this allows him into certain parks, reserves and beaches). Fo...
Post a Comment
Read more