Paarl

Paarl is a large, working Winelands town a short drive inland from Cape Town, with European settlement going back to the 1650s. Its name comes from the granite domes on the mountain above it, which an early Dutch visitor saw shining after rain and likened to a pearl. People come for the wine farms, the scramble up the granite on the mountain, a long main street of old houses, and the history of the Afrikaans language, which was championed here.

Getting there

Paarl is about 60 km from Cape Town on the N1, typically 45 minutes to an hour by car. Metrorail suburban trains run from Cape Town, and long distance Shosholoza Meyl trains and Intercape coaches stop here too. Wikivoyage recommends a hire car, and it is hard to argue with that once you want to reach the wine estates.

When to go

The climate is Mediterranean: summers are hot and dry, and the rain comes in the cooler winter months. Summer heat in the valley can be fierce, so do any hiking early in the day.

What to do

Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve sits right above town. The most popular short outing is Bretagna Rock, one of the big domes. It is a steady uphill walk on bare rock, then a pull up fixed chains, and Cape Town Magazine reckons 30 to 60 minutes depending on fitness. Table Mountain is visible from the top in clear weather. There is no shade and the wind can gust hard, so carry water and sunblock and wear proper shoes. Longer trails in the reserve run from 2.4 km up to 10 km.

Also on the mountain is the Afrikaans Language Monument, a sculpture heavy with symbolism. Its sister museum is in town, in the house where the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners, the society at the start of the Afrikaans language movement, was founded.

Main Street runs for about 12 km, and Wikivoyage calls it the longest main road in the country. Walk a stretch of it for the old houses. Wine estates within easy reach include Nederburg, Laborie and Simonsvlei, and the KWV Wine Emporium is in town. Wikivoyage also lists hot air ballooning and golf.

Good to know

Paarl is where Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990, after 27 years in prison, from what was then Victor Verster and is now Drakenstein Correctional Centre. KWV, once the co-operative that ran the national wine industry from its offices here, is now a private company. Afrikaans is the first language for most people in town.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument, Cape Town Magazine.