Riebeek Valley Olives

Riebeek-Kasteel and Riebeek West sit a few kilometres apart at the foot of the Kasteelberg in the Swartland, in a valley whose hot dry summers and mild wet winters suit olives about as well as anywhere in the country - which is why this small district produces a disproportionate share of South Africa's table olives and olive oil. Groves surround both villages, several with tasting rooms where the oils are tried properly alongside the cured fruit. The Swartland wine revolution of the last two decades runs through the same valley, and a number of the small producers who changed how the country thinks about chenin blanc and syrah are based here. Riebeek-Kasteel has a square with a hotel, restaurants, galleries and antique shops and functions as a weekend destination for Cape Town. The olive festival, held in May, fills both villages.

What you actually see

• Olive groves - a climate that suits them better than anywhere else in the country.
• Oil tastings - proper tasting rooms alongside cured table olives.
• Swartland wine - small producers of chenin blanc and syrah in the same valley.
• The May festival - the olive festival filling both villages.

When to go

April to October; May for the festival. A weekend.

Honest expectations

Summers are very hot and the valley is exposed. The villages are small and quiet outside weekends. Festival weekends book out months ahead. Several producers are appointment-only.

Nearby

Malmesbury is south; the Swartland wine farms surround the valley.