Boschendal Wine Estate is a wine farm between Stellenbosh and Franschhoek. It’s one of the oldest wine farms in the country and was recently ranked “the most beautiful vineyard in the world.” A walk through the Boschendal wine estate certainly had us feeling this way, too. Each turn was an enchanting stretch of trees, streams or colour. A morning walk here is an easy, captivating walk that any family can enjoy with their leashed dog.
I grew up with a dog, and I reckon the vet was the only place we ever took her. She had room to run around and play. It’s been a completely different experience with our dog. We take her to the dog park, beach, walks and trail runs. She’s become our additional travel partner at times (that’s when she’s not spending the time getting tummy rubs from granny).
Learning and experiencing different dog-friendly outdoor spaces has been interesting. So has having a dog, in general. There are many options for trail walking with your dog in Cape Town and its surroundings. We’ve been to a couple, and it’s been nice to watch her explore, too.
MTB and walking trails at Boschendal
Boschendal Wine Estate was the first trail walk we did with our dog. We had had her for a few months and were training and slowly getting her used to different spaces. So, we were looking for a place that was an easy, beautiful walk with good post-walk activities nearby. Boschendal has trail and mountain biking trails on their estate. Its open spaces and picture-perfect scenery make it an excellent option for a walk with a dog.
Runners and walkers can use two marked trails: a 5 km circular walk and a 10km walk that crosses a small river on the property. It was a beautiful day when we went. We thought we might do the longer walk, but when we got to the water, our dog firmly told us she would not be crossing any water.
You will need a walking permit to access any of the trails. This can be purchased at the Trail Centre near the parking area. The permit fee goes towards the upkeep of the course itself. You can also get a map of the trial here or download one from their website before arrival.
Boschendal wine estate is a working farm. So, along the walking trail, you will pass the beautiful vineyards, small vegetable gardens and farm animals. It’s an easy walk with clear paths and markers.
After the walk, we stopped by the wine-tasting room and did a paired wine-tasting while our dog sat at our feet, playing with her toy. She did get momentarily distracted by the largest chicken I’d ever seen, which almost sent Steve flying as her leash was connected to his waist!
Boschendal wine tasting
The wine farm is bustling with activity, picnic spots, a deli, restaurants, and wine tasting. This is also a stop on the Franschhoek Tram, a popular way to visit wine farms. There were groups of friends, families and children running around. It was almost as if we had entered a small town. Even though it was busy, it didn’t feel overcrowded or loud. It’s just the energy of people having a good time.
We visited the cellar door wine tasting under the shade of a large oak tree and next to a rose garden. You can taste and buy a variety of their wines. They also have an interesting wine-pairing menu. We chose the chocolate pairing option because it had unique chocolates like lemon peel, coated with Belgian Chocolate; Granny Smith and white chocolate ganache; and Belgian dark chocolate filled with tangerine ganache,
Boschendal Wine Farm is so pretty. We will definitely be back, maybe next time for a picnic on a sunny day.
