5 Reasons to Book Your Next Getaway in Montagu

Montagu may be a village, but don’t let its small size fool you. The town is bursting with activities to keep you busy. An easy 2-and-a-half-hour drive along Route 62, from Cape Town, Montagu is a cornucopia of history, adventure, and food. If you’re eager for a road trip in the Western Cape, here are 5 great reasons to plan your next trip to Montagu.

There’s plenty of fun to be had on Route 62 and beyond, especially if you love the thrill of a road trip holiday. Just ask Cape Country Routes. CCR (Cape Country Routes) is a leading group of owner-operated and managed accommodation and activity establishments located on the scenic and historic routes in the Western and Eastern Cape. All carefully selected for their character and charm, they offer the best accommodation and activity options to suit every taste and budget. From places to stay to must-try activities, the CCR website is filled with great local travel ideas is a great resource when planning a trip.

Explore the Klein Karoo winelands

Montagu is a village surrounded by a thriving food and wine culture. There’s no better place to use as a base to explore the Klein Karoo winelands. The village is within easy reach of a multitude of wine farms and great restaurants located along the famous Route 62. If you love to make the journey to your destination part of your holiday, then a quick stop at Bonnievale’s Weltevrede Chardonnay Wine Estate on your way to Montagu is a must.

Here you can indulge in a delicious lunch at Kapokbos Restaurant and experience the Captivated by Cap Classique underground tour. The tour takes visitors on a magical journey through underground caverns and hallways to explore the history of Cap Classique, culminating in a Weltevrede Cap Classique tasting.

For a fun hands-on activity, try the ‘Create your own Cap Classique’ experience and go through the final processes that bring the Philip Jonker Cap Classique to the shelf. Disgorge, dosage, cork, and label your own bottle of Philip Jonker Cap Classique and take it home with you to enjoy. Read our full review of both experiences here.

Stay at the only original art deco hotel in South Africa

The Montagu Country Hotel is the only original art deco hotel in South Africa. Built in 1875, the family-run 4-star hotel has been lovingly preserved in the art deco style, celebrating everything that made the Roaring 20s so darn fabulous.

At this great old haven on the historic Route 62, art deco glamour meets warm, country hospitality to offer guests a truly unique small town getaway they won’t soon forget. The second you step into this retro stunner, you’ll feel transported back to the time of Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire. The hotel lobby and welcome lounge are a love letter to the “style moderne” period and set the scene for the well-executed theme that runs throughout the hotel.

Each of the hotel’s 29 en-suite bedrooms has been individually furnished and decorated to offer a unique experience in each room. Rooms in the main hotel building stay true to the period style, with beautifully restored furniture straight out of the history books. If art deco is your thing, then you can choose between the Classic Art Deco rooms or the larger Luxury Art Deco rooms.

The Montagu Country Hotel also offers an in-house restaurant, Charlestons, for breakfast and dinner daily. The restaurant embraces the glamorous side of the vivacious period with divine dishes that are sure to impress. For lunch or drinks, there’s the more casual Flatcaps and Feathers coffee and cocktail lounge. This laid-back spot is where the swinging spirit of the Jazz Age still lives on.

Take a drive down memory lane

Adding to the art deco vibe of the Montagu Country Hotel is the option to book a tour in a vintage American car. The American Dream Car Tour offers a special way of showcasing Montagu, Route 62 and the surrounding areas with a chauffeur-driven tour in a pastel blue 1956 Cadillac Sedan De Ville or a ruby red 1964 Cadillac Sedan de Ville.

Tours start at the Montagu Country Hotel and accommodate up to four people per car (excluding the driver). The hour-long tour includes a brief history of the town before heading out on a scenic drive along one of the world’s longest wine routes, Route 62. This tour is an absolute highlight, and it is such fun to experience being driven in these glamorous cars. Our group made it extra fun by dressing up for the occasion in the 1920s style, and we took along a bottle of bubbles to enjoy on a brief stop at a scenic lookout point just before the Huguenot Tunnel.

Heaven for hikers

The area is known for being a haven for outdoorsy types looking to break a sweat. Montagu is beloved for its hiking trails, boasting breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, and is a destination of choice for those into the thrilling sport of rock climbing and bouldering.

Montagu is the most developed sport climbing area in the Western Cape and has over 450 climbing routes, catering for climbers of all levels of experience. The town is also home to the Klein Karoo Gravel Corridor mountain bike trail route and is quickly becoming a key mountain biking destination in the Western Cape.

Our group spent a morning exploring the 12km Cogmanskloof Trail with its 690-metre summit offering sweeping views of the Montagu valley. The trail requires a relatively good fitness level and should take around 5 hours to complete, but is oh-so-worth it if you love being in the great outdoors. The trail is a fantastic way to experience the raw beauty of the Montagu mountains and is a must for keen hikers. The Montagu Country Hotel is just a short scenic walk from the start of the trail, making the hotel a fantastic base for a hiking group wanting to explore the mountains during their stay.

Discover Montagu on an art bicycle

For something equally fun, the Flying Feet Montagu town tour offers history buffs an opportunity to explore Montagu on a Dutch-style art bike while learning about the fascinating history of the town. Flying Feet has a fleet of beautiful bikes, each hand-painted by a different local artist.

The single-speed, backpedal bicycles are easy to ride (you don’t have to be super fit either), with tour guide, Marchelle van Zyl, taking guests on a very slow and comfortable meander through town. The 90-minute historical town tour gives visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the lifestyle, history and heritage of this beautiful village and is a great way to get some fresh air and learn something while you do it.

If tours aren’t your thing, and you just want to have some fun exploring the town on a bike, then you can also hire a Flying Feet bicycle and go it alone. But remember, the self-drive option also means you’re opting out of the company of wonderfully charismatic and knowledgeable Marchelle and her chucklesome jokes. If you’re after something different, Flying Feet also offers an art tour and a ghost tour.

For more getaway ideas in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, visit the Cape Country Routes website.