Sometimes, the best journeys are not measured in kilometres but in centuries. From living trees that predate the city to roads carved by ox-wagons and vineyards older than the country itself, the Western Cape is layered with places where time still lingers, writes Lee-Ann Steyn.
Where the Cape’s oldest buildings still stand
The Castle of Good Hope/Bernard Gagnon/Wikimedia Commons
The Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town
Completed in 1679, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa and one of the most recognisable symbols of the Cape’s layered past. Its thick stone walls have witnessed everything from early Dutch settlement to British occupation, political imprisonment and military parades.
Today, you can still walk its ramparts, explore its museums and stand in courtyards where soldiers once drilled. It remains not just a relic but a working heritage site, surrounded by a modern city that grew around it.
Mostert’s Mill, Mowbray
Mostert’s Mill/Rudysands/Wikimedia Commons
Built in 1796, Mostert’s Mill is the oldest surviving complete windmill in South Africa. Perched on the slopes of Devil’s Peak, it once ground grain for the early settlement and remains a quiet reminder of the Cape’s agricultural beginnings.
After being damaged by fire and restored, the mill stands once more as a symbol of resilience and preservation, visible from nearby suburbs and hiking trails.
Oude Werf Hotel, Stellenbosch
Dating back to 1802, Oude Werf is widely regarded as South Africa’s oldest continuously operating hotel. Set in the historic core of Stellenbosch, it began life as an inn for travellers moving between Cape Town and the interior.
Staying here today places you within walking distance of oak-lined streets, historic churches and wine farms that shaped the Cape’s early economy.
Ancient trees that are still growing
The camphor trees of Vergelegen and Constantia
Some of the Western Cape’s oldest living residents are not buildings but trees. The camphor trees planted at Vergelegen and across the Constantia valley are estimated to be more than 250 years old. Declared national monuments, these towering giants were planted to mark boundaries, offer shade and signal wealth.
Walking beneath their canopies today offers a rare sense of continuity, a living link between the present and the colonial Cape.
Company’s Garden and the Treaty Tree
Established in the 1650s as a refreshment station for ships rounding the Cape, Company’s Garden remains one of the city’s most historic green spaces. Among its oaks and ancient plantings stands the Treaty Tree, linked to the formal transfer of the Cape from Dutch to British control in 1806.
These trees have quietly borne witness to centuries of political, social and environmental change.
Arderne Gardens, Claremont
Home to one of South Africa’s largest collections of champion trees, Arderne Gardens is an overlooked pocket of living history. Many of its trees are recognised for their exceptional age, size and rarity, making this suburban park a surprising time capsule for visitors willing to slow down.
Roads and passes carved by time
Attakwaskloof Pass/Vdiest (talk) (Uploads), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Attakwaskloof Pass
Used as early as 1689, Attakwaskloof Pass was one of the first routes linking the coast at Mossel Bay with the interior. Originally carved for foot traffic and ox-wagons, the pass winds through rugged mountain terrain that remains largely unchanged.
While modern vehicles no longer use the original route, hikers can still trace its path and imagine the effort it once took to move goods and people inland.
Bothmanskloof Pass
Dating back to the early 1700s, Bothmanskloof Pass connects the Riebeek Valley with the Swartland. It remains one of the oldest drivable mountain passes in the province, still used by farmers, cyclists and travellers exploring this agricultural heartland.
The pass is a reminder that some of the Western Cape’s most scenic routes were shaped by necessity rather than leisure.
Seven Passes Road
Completed in 1883, the Seven Passes Road between George and Knysna was the first direct route linking the two towns. Designed by Thomas Bain, it remains a favourite for slow travel, whether by car, bicycle or on foot.
Passing through forests, rivers and historic mountain passes, it offers a journey through both landscape and engineering history.
Lighthouses that have guided ships for generations
Cape Agulhas/Sebastian Wohlrapp/Unsplash
Cape Agulhas Lighthouse
Built in 1848 and first lit in 1849, the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is the second-oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. Standing at the southernmost tip of the continent, it has guided ships through one of the world’s most treacherous stretches of coastline for more than 170 years.
Visitors can climb to the top for sweeping views and explore the keeper’s cottage, now a museum dedicated to maritime history.
Green Point Lighthouse
Green Point Lighthouse/Dietmar Rabich/Wikimedia Commons
Completed in 1824, Green Point Lighthouse predates Agulhas and remains the oldest operational lighthouse in the country. Its location near the V&A Waterfront places it within easy reach of the city, yet it represents an era when the sea was the Cape’s primary gateway to the world.
Vineyards older than the country itself
Groot Constantia
Established in 1685, Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine estate and one of the Western Cape’s most significant heritage sites. Its Cape Dutch buildings, historic cellars and sprawling vineyards tell the story of wine’s role in shaping the region’s economy and culture.
Visitors can taste wines rooted in centuries of tradition while walking grounds that have remained productive for more than 300 years.
Blaauwklippen and Rustenberg
Both Blaauwklippen and Rustenberg trace their origins back to the early 1680s, making them among the oldest wine farms in the country. Still producing wine today, these estates offer tangible proof that the Western Cape’s winemaking heritage is not confined to museums.
Rietvallei Wine Estate, Robertson
Founded in 1864 and still family-owned, Rietvallei is home to historic Muscadel vines planted in the early 1900s. The estate represents a later chapter in the Cape’s wine story, showing how tradition and continuity extend beyond the earliest farms.
Why these places matter now
What links these trees, buildings, roads, lighthouses and vineyards is not just age but accessibility. These are not sealed-off relics. They are places you can walk through, stay in, taste from and travel along.
In a province known for reinvention and reinvigoration, the Western Cape’s oldest places remind us that some of its greatest stories are still standing, growing and waiting to be visited.
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