Route 62, the longest wine route in the world, passes through Barrydale … where an overnight stay at the Karoo Art Hotel is a highlight.
For those who love long road trips and open arid plains, winding mountain passes and deep valleys, Route 62 is a treat. Passing through towns like Calitzdorp and Ladismith, Oudtshoorn and Montagu, it’s massively popular with bikers and tourists.
Barrydale is a favoured stopover, and it’s where you’ll find the old-time glam Karoo Art Hotel. Owners Rick and Sue Melvill, founders of the luxury safari brand Melvill & Moon, happened across the then derelict hotel on a chance visit to the area while on an off-road motorbiking trip, saw endless opportunities and renovated it.
Now, besides the rooms, bar and restaurant, there’s a private cinema up in the rafters of the Bialanti Ballroom, a Map Room, where you’ll find giant maps with all the walks, drives, runs, hikes, and trails in the area. There’s a library and walls of memorabilia, and planned events like art workshops and live music.
Guests can join the early morning swim club, who head up to a rockpool on the Tradouw Pass for an icy dip, or book for a Melvill and Moon Grand Picnic lunch or romantic sundowner on a Klein Karoo mountain top. Mountain bikers have a 25km loop through the local farms, and for road bikers, the Tradouw Pass is high up on the tick list. And for those who just want to cycle around the village, there’s a collection of bikes at the hotel, including a tandem.
Breakfasts and dinners are served in the formal but not stuffy dining room, with daily changing set menus … think farm-style Jungle Oats with honey and cinnamon, or a full traditional for breakfast, and Karoo-style dishes for dinner … carrot, ginger and honey soup, local lamb cutlets, Fanny’s Van Der Hum tart with clotted vanilla cream.
There’s a tremendously welcoming pub, always with loads of bikers doing the Route 62, with a pub menu for dinner, too, and a tiny coffee shop with freshly baked treats to enjoy by the fire.
While you’re there …
Book a tea party with Yamu Botanicals – a conducted tour and tea and tincture tasting experiences in the Yamu herb fields. Take a walk with internationally recognised labyrinth guru Terry De Vries, whose labyrinth is a replica of the one under the Chartres Cathedral in France. Labyrinth walks are about the letting go of stress, awakening inner creativity and connecting with nature.
The rooms are glorious. Each individually themed … love this bold Magnolia room, and the peacock and ostrich and fynbos rooms, each with quirky touches. Some, like the Potters Cottage, with it’s own kitchenette, others opening onto verandahs or the gardens. They don’t all have ensuite bathrooms, some have in-room baths, others showers only.
A highlight. The hotel is … dog-friendly is putting it too lightly … they love dogs! And there’s no ‘small dogs only’ rule. All welcome. There’s even a dog menu … beef sausage starters, main course of chicken or beef with rice and butternut, and a peanut butter biscuit dessert. Woof!
Worth visiting …
- The Joubert Tradouw wine estate, just 10km or so down the road towards Montague. Taste the wines … award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Francs as well as the easy-drinking R62 brand, then stay for lunch … winemaker Meyer Joubert’s wife Beate is a splendid cook, and she dishes up sensational platters.
- Die Langhuis, owned by South African designer Gert van den Merwe and his partner Jaco Jansen van Rensburg – described as a blend of colonial Karoo with a touch of France – is a country store crammed with gorgeous antiques and homeware and a lovely cafe.
- Barrydale Weavers for handwoven towels, table linen, baby blankets, throws, mats and so much more.
There are regular seasonal and midweek specials, and those older than 65 are offered 20 per cent discount for midweek stays. Details: karooarthotel.co.za A member of Cape Country Routes. Details: capecountryroutes.com
