This festive season, skip the queues, parking lots, and crowded malls, and trade them for wide-open landscapes, festive farmstalls, Christmas markets, and slow, scenic days in the countryside. Just 90 minutes from Cape Town, the Bergrivier region unfolds as a warm and welcoming holiday escape, where summer days are filled with crisp mountain air, shimmering coastlines, local craft food and drink, and adventures that stretch from golden wheat fields to sparkling rivers.
Suppose you’re craving meaningful experiences, or you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly getaway with room to breathe. In that case, Bergrivier’s towns of Piketberg, Porterville, Velddrif, Aurora, Dwarskersbos, and Redelinghuys offer a festive season that feels grounded, wholesome, and deeply South African.
Slow Down, Stop Often, Savour Everything
For a truly memorable festive adventure, set out on a road trip through Bergrivier, a journey best enjoyed slowly, with plenty of time to pause, explore, and soak in the charm of each stop. This is where the festive magic lies: moving gently from mountains to coast, meeting the makers, tasting local flavours, wandering through Christmas markets, and discovering the textures of small-town life along the way. Rustic padstalle overflowing with mosbrood, rusks, pies, biltong, dried fruit, creamy cheeses, and homemade jams set the tone for a trip where the journey itself becomes part of the holiday.
Heritage Charm & Mountain Calm
Start your trip in Piketberg, a historic mountain town where sandstone churches, Victorian façades, and the town’s self-guided Heritage Route offer a fascinating glimpse into the region’s layered past. Fuel your festive travels with a stop at the Desert Rose, Winkelshoek, or Kardoesie farmstalls along the N7, both beloved for their roosterkoek, pies, jams, and farmstall favourites that embody the flavours of Bergrivier.
While you’re there, take a scenic detour on 6 December to nearby Redelinghuys, where the Family Fun Country Fair at Vensterklip offers homely cooking, a traditional spitbraai, festive music, and the warmth of small-town summer. Before continuing your journey, wander up to Piket-Bo-Berg, a high plateau of orchards, forests, mountain-bike routes, waterfalls, fynbos trails, and still, quiet viewpoints, a hidden world ideal for travellers seeking nature, peace, and beauty.
Art, Air & Adventure
Next, visit Porterville, a town where creativity, nature, and community spirit converge. If you visit on 13 December, the Houtconstant Farm Christmas Market becomes a highlight of your festive journey, a joyful gathering beneath shady trees with farm-grown produce, festive bakes, handmade goods, and a relaxed countryside feel.
Explore Porterville’s artistic side by visiting pottery studios and artisan workshops where local creators open their doors to travellers. For adventure lovers, summer turns the town into a paragliding paradise. The dramatic Dasklip Pass becomes a sky stage as colourful gliders soar above the valley, creating one of the most spectacular sights of the season.
Just beyond town lies the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area, where rugged routes lead to crystal-clear rock pools, dramatic rock formations, and sweeping mountain views, an ideal escape for hikers and nature lovers. End your Porterville day with a visit to Tygerkloof Distillery (Ginsmiths), where fynbos-infused gins and mountain views pair beautifully with small plates and warm local conversation.
Country Quiet, Sandveld Charm
Continue your slow festive journey to Redelinghuys, one of the Sandveld’s most peaceful villages, a place known for its wheat fields, warm community spirit, and small-town tranquillity that feels like a step back in time.
If you’re travelling on 13 December, make sure to stop at the Redelinghuys Christmas Market, taking place from 5 pm to 8 pm at 78 Voortrekker Street, right next to Sandveld Oase. This much-loved community market brings together clothing and handmade crafts, unique festive gifts and locally made items, light meals, cakes, and hot or iced tea and coffee served by Grounded Café.
It’s a relaxed, friendly event filled with West Coast hospitality, the perfect place to stretch your legs, browse for gifts, and enjoy a warm summer evening under the trees. From here, the road opens toward the coast as you make your way to Velddrif and Dwarskersbos for river life, beaches, and seaside festive markets.
Water, Wildlife & West Coast Wonder
As your journey reaches the coast, Velddrif welcomes you with festive charm and slow river rhythms. If you arrive on 6 December, you can wander through the lively Port Owen Monthly Market, where the marina fills with artisanal flavours, handmade goods, and the joyful exchange of holiday shoppers chatting between the stalls. Return on 16 December for the Port Owen Christmas Night Market, when the harbour glitters with lights, festive music drifts along the water, and families stroll beneath soft summer skies.
But markets are only the beginning of your culinary journey here. Make your way to Tolbossie Farm Stall, a gem in the heart of Velddrif and home to Tannie Aggie’s famous fish pies and heat-and-eat rolls, a flavourful slice of true West Coast tradition.
Beyond the farmstalls, Velddrif offers a world of simple pleasures.
- Stroll along Bokkomlaan, the iconic riverside lane lined with drying-shed heritage, wooden jetties, and intimate riverside coffee spots.
- Take a tranquil boat cruise on the Berg River, drifting past pelicans, flamingos, spoonbills, and estuary vistas glowing gold at sunset.
- Explore Laaiplek Harbour, where colourful trawlers and sea-salt air capture the heartbeat of the West Coast. And while here, grab some ice cream from the Lighthouse Deli.
- Or get out onto the water with canoeing, kayaking, SUP, or relaxed river paddling — ideal for cooling off and soaking up nature.
Just minutes away, Dwarskersbos offers safe, warm waters and long stretches of quiet beach perfect for swimming, strolling, or letting the festive season unfold slowly in the sunshine. On the 14th of December, there is also a Christmas Night Market filled with handcrafted gifts, festive treats, and a relaxed coastal mood that captures the heart of West Coast summer.
Places to Rest, Retreat & Reconnect
All along the festive slow road from mountain towns to coastal villages, travellers will find a wide range of accommodation to suit every taste, budget, and travel style. Whether you prefer mountain silence, riverside living, or salty sea air, Bergrivier offers places to rest and reconnect, each one as welcoming and character-filled as the towns themselves.
Stay in tucked-away rustic campsites, scenic caravan parks, or atmospheric farm stays. Choose fancier glamping options, cosy self-catering cottages, and waterside chalets perfect for families. Or treat yourself to boutique guesthouses, beautifully designed lodges, and even luxurious hotel-style retreats.
“This festive season, we invite visitors to take the slow road and immerse themselves in the simple joys that make Bergrivier special seeing our towns the way locals do, feeling the warmth of our communities, and slowing down to savour the small, authentic moments that make holidays meaningful,” says Nomonde Ndlangisa, CEO of Bergrivier Tourism.
To explore festive events or plan your journey, visit: www.bergriviertourism.co.za.
