GET MOVING IN PAARL THIS WINTER.
Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 25 June 2019 6:40 AM CAT

This winter, turn the heat up by raising your body temperature. Paarl is blessed with beautiful mountains and a quaint countryside all which offer a feast of outdoor adventures available for all fitness levels. So whether it’s mountain climbing, rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running, horse-riding, caving, fly-fishing, abseiling or golf – there’s an activity right here waiting for you.
There’s a big focus on trails in Paarl. 200km of them in fact. This huge project was undertaken by Paarl Adventure Trails and after years of planning, 8 world-class custom-built trails around the town were ready to be explored. And when we say explore, we mean coasting through wine farms and olive orchards, downhill’s and uphill’s through nature reserves and herds of sheep, past bistro’s and museums, and up close to fragrant fields of fynbos and wonderful views.
A day pass for an adult is R60, a child R40, and includes a detailed route map.
To make things as quick and easy as possible, there are 5 points where you can purchase the permits and register to use the trails:
- Frater Square, Mountain Moon & Bistro (Main Road)
- Paarl Tourism Office (Main Road)
- Hero Adventure Trails at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate (Main Road, Northern Paarl)
- Ridgeback Wine Estate (Main Road, Northern Paarl)
- Hero Adventure Trails at Spice Route Destination (Suid- Agter Paarl Road)
Most trails actually start from where the permits are brought which is a great advantage. For R1000.00 there is also an option to purchase an annual permit that allows unlimited access to all the Paarl & Hero Adventure Trails. For information on permits and more, please visit here https://hero-adventure.co.za/2018/.
Some great hiking trails in the area include The Miaspoort Trail, which is on the Paarl side of the Du Toitskloof Pass. It’s for the fitter few and includes scaling over boulders and leaping over streams. Donkerkloof Private Game Farm offers many scenic walks and hikes, from easy rambles to strenuous scrambles. Klipkershout Walking Trail in the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve has fairly peaceful walks ranging from 2.5km to 10km. And if you’d like to add some extra excitement to your hiking experience by popping into a bat cave, try a walk at the Vlermuisgrot Bat Cave Walking Trail.
For alternative outdoor family excursions, Element Adventures offer quad biking through spellbinding forests and guava orchards, and their paintball wars will have you diving for cover behind towering pine trees.
And for the horse lovers? The town’s very old equestrian heritage means that horse riding plays an important part in this town. Wine Valley Adventures offer a host of horse trail trips, including moonlit meanders and wine tasting trails. For the keen fisherman, there are 3 dams close-by – Nantes, Bethel and Victoria. All full of fish!
And for the keen golfer, there is Paarl Golf Club at Boschenmeer Golf & Country Estate and the Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course – both top class and both offering a very vibrant 19th hole!