5 things to do in Greyton

I used to love the idea of taking a midweek break somewhere new, to play tourist. Now, with a baby, the journey (which is always full of screams), the packing and unpacking, and the necessary baby-proofing of where we stay makes it quite stressful…and exhausting. But, we’re not ones to shy away from a bit of fun, so a few weeks ago we took a trip to Greyton to stay for two nights at the Old Potter’s Inn.

Greyton is a tiny town in the Overberg, 140km away from Cape Town, with classic charm in abundance and seeing as we hadn’t had a break away since last year, we were quite excited….until we actually got in the car with a baby who acted like a caged animal. With Rosie wailing in the back of the car for 90% of the journey, we made quite a few pit stops, but it made us get the camera out.

I totally think her screams were planned…she just knows how to push our buttons.

When we eventually got to Greyton, it was as picturesque as we had imagined and we walked around the town to stretch our legs and to give the little lion cub some breathing space.
Life moves slowly and at all times, I felt safe. There’s a number of places to eat, plenty of space for leisurely walks and lots of horses for kids to oggle at (and animal sanctuaries nearby too) – not a bad spot for families actually.
So how did we enjoy our short amount of time there? By doing the following….

My top five things to do in Greyton. 

1. Grab a beer at The Old Potter’s Inn.
Ah man, the brus behind the brews at Old Potter’s Inn were so cool. Mr H and I love finding craft beers that we want to tell the world about and we just loved tasting the offerings at the Inn and seeing the guys in action. The two stand-outs for us were their collaboration between Banana Jam cafe which was super tasty, and their Rooinek which was lush and toffee-like. I loved the whole set-up, from the taps, to the open brewing station. Oh, and on Wednesdays they have a Happy Hour from 5-7. It’s definitely a great place to visit.

2. Walk around the town.
I found no less than three houses that I would like to buy (should I ever win the lottery); the gardens were big and open and ugly burglar bars were no where to be found. Everyone greets you as if you’ve lived there all your life and with looming mountains surrounding the town, it sort of feels like you stepped into a secluded movie set.

3. Go for tea & scones at the Fiore Garden Centre.
We popped in just as a fresh batch of scones had been taken out of the oven – I can smell scones from 4 miles away, a skill that only a true Brit possesses. The garden centre, with its play area (great for kids), is HUGE and as household gardens are an iconic part of the Greyton lifestyle, Fiore stocks a vast array of gardening goodies.

4. Step back in time by visiting all the local antique shops.
Obviously you’re not going to Greyton to buy the latest fashion accessories, but if you were looking for some vintage gems, you’ll find them in abundance at Once More With Feeling – A unique collection of previously loved clothing and accessories, presented with passion and flare.

5. Feed your face at the Hungry Monk.
Who would have thought that Polish and Thai food would go so well together? Offering a range of tapas (and larger meals), I was really amazed by the variety of flavors AND, by the separate vegan menu they have.

For more information and ideas on where to stay, visit the Greyton Tourism Page

Disclaimer: We stayed as guests of The Old Potter’s Inn.