A Guide to Accommodation, Activities, Restaurants & Businesses in Stanford, South Africa

General Information

Stanford is a small town located in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, and is a popular retreat for Capetonians as an escape from their busy city life.

Only half an hour drive from the seaside town of Hermanus, Stanford has beautiful mountain views, great restaurants, interesting shops and vineyards.  Preserved Victorian cottages line the streets, and with the Kleinrivier running through it Stanford is all about relaxing in life.  Boastful of having the best food and wine in the Cape, Stanford is popular all year-round.

The centre of town consists of the original market square, a village green and plenty of places to eat, drink and shop.  Stanford seems to embody old-world style with modern times in the successful merging of tastes and delights.  The village has a strong entrepreneurial spirit often found in small villages, as talented artists and crafters have made Stanford their home.

Stanford is rich in history and visitors can learn more about it on interesting walks through the town following the history tours.  More information is available at the tourism office.  Saturday mornings bring with it a gastronomy of taste and smell at the Saturday morning market and the monthly Friday sunset market, hugely popular with locals and visitors alike.

The town offers a great range of accommodation options from Bed and Breakfasts, Guest Houses to Self-catering units.  There are many attractions and activities in and around Stanford to entertain the whole family, some of which are as follows:

• Food Heroes at the Saturday morning market and monthly Friday sunset market
• Birkenhead Brewery - producing microbrewery beers
• Mountain bike trails
• Canoeing and cruising on the Klein River
• Hiking trails 
• Wine tasting
• Mierkom Beach for whale and dolphin spotting
• Walker Bay - 4×4 Trail

Businesses are mostly directed at sustaining tourism, however the town provides a well-rounded infrastructure which caters to all requirements.  For a full list, please view the business directory, alternatively you can add your own business as a free listing.

More information on Stanford can be found in the Western Cape Directory and our online magazine of the Overberg

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