Swellendam: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Swellendam was founded by the Dutch East India Company in the 1740s as the seat of a magistrate, a landdrost, sent to govern the farmers and hunters beyond the mountains. Only Cape Town and Stellenbosch are older. Its long main street is still lined with thatched Cape Dutch and Victorian houses under old oaks. This is a short walk at the east end of town, around the Drostdy and the church; an hour and a half with the museum.

A short history of Swellendam

Swellendam was founded in 1745 and is the third-oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch. It was named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel and his wife Helena ten Damme. In 1795 the settlers here declared independence from the Dutch company and set up a republic, which lasted a few months until the British took over the Cape. The Drostdy building, the seat of government from 1747, is now a museum, and Cape Dutch houses have been preserved beside it.

The ten best sights in Swellendam

1
Drostdy Museum
The magistrate's house of 1747 with its old gaol and outbuildings; give it an hour
2
Mayville House
A 19th-century town house and rose garden, part of the Drostdy museum
3
Dutch Reformed Church
The white church in the centre, with a tower that mixes half a dozen styles
4
Suurbraak
A quiet old mission village 20 minutes east, on the way to the Tradouw Pass
5
Bontebok National Park
Antelope, fynbos and a swim in the Breede River, 6 km from town
6
Marloth Nature Reserve
Trails into the Langeberg straight from the edge of town; sign in at the office
7
Tradouw Pass
A short, beautiful pass through a red gorge to Barrydale
8
Barrydale
Small Route 62 village with cafés and galleries, half an hour away
9
Grootvadersbosch
Old indigenous forest with walking trails and birding
10
Malgas Pont
A hand-pulled ferry across the Breede, on the gravel road to the coast; check it is running

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Swellendam →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Swellendam:

Free walking tours in Swellendam

The third-oldest town

Swellendam · The town is named after the Cape governor Hendrik Swellengrebel and his wife Helena ten Damme: the first half of his surname joined to hers.
Drostdy Museum · The Drostdy was built in 1747 as the home and court of the landdrost, who ruled a district that stretched hundreds of kilometres east. Today it is the centre of a museum of several old buildings.
Mayville House · Mayville is a Victorian town house kept as part of the Drostdy museum, so in a few steps you go from the 18th-century Dutch Cape to the British 19th century.
Republic of Swellendam · In 1795 the burghers of Swellendam drove out the Company's landdrost and declared their own republic. It lasted only a few months, until the British took the Cape that same year.
Dutch Reformed Church · The church was finished in 1911 in a mix of styles, Gothic windows, a baroque tower and Cape gables, which makes it one of the most photographed churches in the country.
King George V memorial · The small monument on the main street marks the coronation of King George V in 1911, the same year the church was finished.

Over the Langeberg

The Langeberg rises straight behind Swellendam, and on its far side lies the dry Klein Karoo. This drive starts in the mountain reserve above town, goes east past a forest and a mission village, and crosses the range through a gorge to Barrydale. It is a full day if you walk in the reserve and stop for lunch on Route 62. The pass is tarred; the reserve trails need water and good shoes.

Marloth Nature Reserve · The reserve is named after Rudolf Marloth, a German-born pharmacist who became the great botanist of the Cape flora. The multi-day Swellendam Hiking Trail starts here.
Grootvadersbosch · Grootvadersbosch, 'grandfather's forest', is one of the largest patches of indigenous forest left in the Langeberg, with old yellowwood and stinkwood trees.
Suurbraak · Suurbraak grew from a mission station of the London Missionary Society in the early 19th century, and its people still live in the row of small cottages along the river.
Tradouw Pass · The pass was built by the road engineer Thomas Bain and opened in 1873. Tradouw is usually explained as a Khoi name meaning 'women's path'.
Barrydale · Barrydale sits on Route 62, the inland road from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn that is promoted as one of the longest wine routes in the world.
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve · Sanbona is known for white lions that were reintroduced and now breed in the wild, a rare colour form of the ordinary African lion.

Down the Breede to the sea

South of Swellendam the Breede River winds through wheat country to the Indian Ocean. This drive follows it from the national park on the edge of town, across the river on a hand-pulled ferry and down to the river mouth, where whales come to calve. Most of it is on gravel roads; a normal car manages in dry weather. A full day; take food, there is little on the way.

Bontebok National Park reception · The park was first set up near Bredasdorp in 1931 and moved to this site by Swellendam in 1961, where the land suited the antelope better.
Bontebok National Park · When the park was founded only a few dozen bontebok survived, all on a handful of farms. The species was saved here, and is now counted in thousands.
Malgas · In the 19th century small ships sailed up the Breede from the sea to load wool and grain at Malgas, which made this farm hamlet a river port.
Malgas Pont · The pont is the last hand-drawn car ferry in South Africa: the crew walk the deck pulling a steel cable to haul it across the river.
Witsand · Southern right whales come into St Sebastian Bay at the river mouth to calve, and Witsand calls itself the whale nursery of South Africa.
Infanta · Cape Infanta is named after João Infante, a captain in Bartolomeu Dias's fleet, which sailed past this coast in 1488.

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Getting to Swellendam and getting around

Intercape stop · Long-distance coaches between Cape Town and the Garden Route stop on Voortrek Street; book ahead
Swellendam Station · The old station on Station Street; don't plan on a passenger train, arrive by car or coach

Cheap eats in Swellendam

Swellendam is a farm town, and its quick food is country food: bakeries with koeksisters and milk tart, take-aways with pies and boerewors rolls, and cafés along the main street. A coffee and something sweet costs about R50-80, a home-style plate under R110.

Sarah's Bakeshop · Home baking on Voortrek Street; koeksisters and cake about R20-50
Pieta's Dorps Kombuis · "Village kitchen": home-style Afrikaans food to take away, about R60-110
Bizzie Bee · Small café on the main street; coffee and a toastie about R60-100
Oak & Bean · Coffee by the Drostdy, under the oaks; about R30-45
Debonairs Pizza · South African pizza chain for an easy dinner; about R90-150
Plato Coffee · Coffee at the west end of town, on the way out; about R30-45

Museums in Swellendam

Drostdy Museum · Furniture, the old gaol and the outbuildings; an hour
Mayville House · Victorian rooms and a rose garden, on the same ticket
Dutch Reformed Church · Look inside if the door is open
Suurbraak · A walk along the mission village's single street

Nature and day trips near Swellendam

Bontebok National Park · Easy drives and walks; the river is good for a swim in summer
Marloth Nature Reserve · Day walks into the Langeberg; start early in summer
Grootvadersbosch · Forest trails and birding hides
Tradouw Pass · Stop at the pull-offs above the gorge
Witsand · Whales from the shore, July to November

Things to do in Swellendam with kids

Malgas Pont · Kids love the crossing; it takes a few cars at a time
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve · Game drives for those staying; book well ahead
Bontebok National Park camp · Camp by the river and see antelope at breakfast
Barrydale Waterfall · A short walk to a waterfall near Barrydale

Where to eat in Swellendam

Republic of Swellendam · Dinner near the Drostdy
Field & Fork · Seasonal cooking by the Drostdy; book ahead
Herberg Roosje Van De Kaap · Dinner in an old inn
La Sosta · Italian cooking on the main street
De Vagebond · A relaxed dinner on Voortrek Street
Koornlands · Restaurant on the main street

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Frequently asked questions about Swellendam

What is there to see in Swellendam?

The top sights in Swellendam are Drostdy Museum, Mayville House and Dutch Reformed Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Swellendam?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Swellendam without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Swellendam?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Swellendam, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The third-oldest town.

How do you get to Swellendam and get around?

The main ways are Intercape stop and Swellendam Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Swellendam, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Swellendam that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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