15 things to do in Greyton in the Overberg

​By Roxanne Reid
You’ll find Greyton at the foot of the Riviersonderend mountains, about 35km from Caledon in South Africa's western Cape. It’s a blend of relaxed country village with gravel roads and sophisticated town jammed with restaurants. There’s a healthy dose of nature thrown in as a bonus. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do in Greyton in the Overberg.

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1. Visit Genadendal Moravian mission village 

The Moravian mission church at Genadendal was built in 1891

About 5km before you get to Greyton on the R406, take the turnoff to Genadendal, the oldest Moravian mission village in Africa. Stroll under shady oak trees to see the church and a cluster of old buildings, including three museums. Depending on how much you enjoy history, you could easily spend a few hours here.

​Read more about Genadendal Moravian mission village

2. Historic village walk 

The Old Potter's Inn & Brewhouse is one of Greyton's older buildings

One of the first things to do in Greyton is to drop in to Greyton’s tourism info office at 29 Main Road to get a map of the village. Also ask for the historic village walk pamphlet, which will tell you about some of Greyton’s oldest buildings, including one that predates the founding of the village in 1854.

Discover how many of the buildings you see today have a past. Find the old post office (now part of a guest house), the original school (now a restaurant), the old produce market (also now a restaurant), or a building that used to house police cells (now part of a lodge). You can also find the Moravian mission church, now sadly unkempt, and St Andrew’s Anglican church, built in 1904. Look out for the gravestone of Greyton’s founder, Herbert Vigne, in the church garden; it was relocated from a neglected cemetery in Caledon, where he died.

3. Hike in the nature reserve

If you love the outdoors and are keen on hiking, there's no question about what to do in Greyton; you’ll love the nature reserve and Ghobos River environs. There are eight walks in the area, ranging from 3-7km long. Enjoy the birds, plants like ericas and restios, the mountains and some wonderful views over the village, as well as a rock pool or riverside trail.

If you’re looking for something more physically taxing, try the 14km full-day Boesmanskloof trail up the Riviersonderend mountains to McGregor. You may see Verreaux’s eagle, malachite sunbird and Cape sugarbird, and perhaps even a klipspringer, baboon or dassie.

You’ll need to organise transport on the other side or sleep over and walk back over the mountain the next day, making a 28km two-day hike. I did this trail a few years back and can say that the McGregor to Greyton direction is easier than Greyton to McGregor. Make sure you carry plenty of water and if, like me, you don’t enjoy hiking in high heat, start early and avoid the mid-summer months.

Get more info about the Boesmanskloof Trail

4. Go biking

Biking around the village is a relaxing way to explore

There are two ways to bike Greyton. The first, and to me more relaxing, is to bike along the village roads to see the sights and enjoy the pretty houses, gardens and shops (like the one pictured above), then stop at a restaurant for something to eat before rolling back to your accommodation. We stayed at The Earthy Inn, which included the use of bicycles as part of the package, but you can also hire bikes in town if you didn’t bring your own – just ask at the tourist info centre on Main Road.

For a more active option, bring your mountain bike and take on one of the half-dozen or so MTB trails in the area. There’s something for everyone, from kids to hardcore technical riders, from 4.5km to more than 20km with some serious elevation. Get maps and permits for a small fee from the Vanilla Café in Oak Street. You can even hire MTBs in Greyton – ask at the tourism info office.

Get more info about Greyton/Genandendal MTB routes
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5. Horse riding

Horses on the road, photo: Marius Greeff

If you prefer a horse saddle to a bicycle saddle, Greyton has your back. The Greyton Riding Club on a farm outside the village offers lessons for beginners or out-rides for experienced riders. Booking is essential, tel 083-6226274.

Another option is to go riding with Asher Moses & Sons into the Riviersonderend mountains and valleys. Find them at the Greyton Saturday Morning Market (see point 10 below), where they also offer horse-cart rides through the village.

6. Visit the artisan chocolate shop

If you’re a chocoholic like me, the Von Geusau shop in the Oak & Vigne courtyard is a must. It’s only open on the weekend, but if you visit mid-week just pop in to the Oak & Vigne restaurant next door; they have a key and can let you in. There’s a small selection of flavours to taste, and lots to buy, from truffles to white and milk chocolate bars. The highlight for me were silky 70% dark chocolate bars with flavours like chilli, tonka bean, masala chai, lavender and Earl Grey. My favourite was rose geranium, which was reminiscent of Turkish delight but not as sweet.

7. Explore the art meander

Visit one or two of the art galleries and studios in Greyton

A number of artists and crafters have studios and galleries in Greyton, though you’ll be hard pressed to find many of them open during the week and some are by appointment only. Over the weekends, you can explore the village’s art route more easily. One studio also has a sculpture garden. If this is your thing, ask at the tourism info centre for more details about the art route.

8. Taste craft beer 

Visit the Old Potter’s Inn & Brewhouse in the Main Road to appreciate the old double-storey building and enjoy a craft beer tasting. Pay R35 and you get five beers to taste. They have funky names like Cityslicker (pale ale), Rooinek (a malty amber ale) and Plaas Japie (a Belgian-style beer). Pub-style snacks are also available and if you go mid-week you might be lucky to muscle in on a ‘local evening’ with half-price beer.

9. Taste wine 

Vineyards in the hills around Greyton

There are three wine estates at Greyton – Andy Mitchell Wines, Lismore Vineyards and Swallow Hill. They’re not on the scale of wineries in Stellenbosch and not as easily accessible. You can’t just drop in, but need to get organised ahead of time and make an appointment. Second best if you want to taste the local wines without bothering with appointments is to pop in to the local wine shop called Village Vino’s in the Main Road, which carries a full selection from all three wineries for you to buy.

10. Enjoy a morning market 

Saturday morning market, photo: Michael Kock

Greyton village has two morning markets each week, a small produce market on Wednesdays, and a bigger Saturday morning market from 10:00-12:00 at Market Square opposite the Dutch Reformed church in Main Road. In times past, Market Square was where churchgoers coming to town for communion used to outspan their wagons. At the market you can find anything from organic veggies to cheese, yoghurt, biltong, farm-fresh bread, cakes and pancakes, as well as books and crafts.

11. Visit the donkey sanctuary

There’s a donkey sanctuary called EARS (Everyone’s Animal Rescue Society) just outside Greyton. It does good work with injured, abused or old donkeys and fosters a culture of caring for animals. Kids, especially, will love to visit the donkeys and hear their stories. To arrange a visit, contact Penny on 082-6606714 or Shanna on 074-6646110.

12. Eat out 

For a small town, Greyton has a healthy number of restaurants (more than ten) so that even on busy weekends no one has to go hungry. We taste-tested three of them – the Oak & Vigne (succulent crumbed chicken, prego roll), Via (bobotie in a phyllo parcel, and open roast veg sandwich on artisanal bread, both delicious though service was a bit slow), and Abbey Rose (tasty lamb shank, oxtail and an excellent crème brulée).

13. Visit the Rose Fair

Towards the end of October each year, there’s a Rose Fair in Greyton. If you’re in town that weekend you can join the fun of the opening parade, visit the rose show and wander around the various open gardens to appreciate the beauty of these special flowers.

14. Get married

Destination weddings are a big trend for those lucky enough to be able to afford them. Greyton has a number of wedding venues eager to help with your special day, whether you want town or country, large or small, formal or informal. For instance, the Oaks, Oewerzicht and Elandskloof are popular for bigger weddings, while the attractive gardens of guest houses and restaurants are perfect for smaller weddings.

15. Stay over

The corner where the Post House lodge stands used to be Greyton's main intersection

With so much to do and see in Greyton, you’ll want to find out about Greyton accommodation and stay over for at least one or two nights. It’s the only way to enjoy the best parts of the day – a cool early morning walk along quiet streets, or toasting the sunset with a chilled glass of wine. We stayed at The Earthy Inn and loved it. Whether you’re looking for self-catering, B&B or full-service lodges, for budget, mid-range or luxury, Greyton has a wide range of choices.  A good place to look is Greyton Tourism’s accommodation page. 

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