6 reasons why ‘fall’ is Cape Town’s best season

Secret season in the Cape: autumn. When summer is over and winter is not ready here.

While in most countries around the world, autumn is often very wet, windy and harsh, in Cape Winelands, South Africa, it is quite the opposite.

Today, I will tell you why autumn is the most beautiful time of year in Cape Town.

1. Weather
I already mentioned it; The weather is great in the fall. One might call this time of year late summer rather than early winter. Usually you’ll have clear, bright, and beautiful days with clear blue skies, warm temperatures (but not as hot as 40°) and plenty of sunshine. Also, there is less wind during the summer months resulting in lovely calm and steady weather. And it can be easily 22-28 degrees during the day! You definitely still need sunscreen during these months.

2. Nature in color
I am an autumn person. Warm colors like nude, brown, dark yellow, orange, dark brown and bordeaux look much better than cool colors like bright pink, black or blue. So I love the changing colors during the secret season, in Franschhoek and the area around Cape Town. The leaves show off their beautiful yellows, reds, oranges and browns!

3. Autumn sunset
In the Cape, the sunset from April to June is the best and most beautiful you can get. Since the sun is lower in the sky, I think, there are usually the best sunset colors; pink, red, yellow, orange. So romantic, poetic and beautiful! A few good places to watch the sunset in Franschhoek are: Dieu Donne, Haute Cabrière or La Petite Ferme.

4. Cozy evening
Although the days can still be hot and summer-like in the fall: chilly mornings, evenings and nights! So cuddle up in the evening, light a fire, drink a glass of red wine and watch your favorite movie under a wool blanket. What I also love about autumn in South Africa is spring in Europe + other parts of the world. And that means sports on tv! Hello Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments (Roland Garros and Wimbledon are just the best), Olympics, Tour de France and World Cup.

5. Less crowded and big discounts
During the secret season, you can definitely feel and see that the village of Franschhoek is less crowded. And the same goes for Cape Town, Stellenbosch and other parts of the Western Cape. Most of the tourists and ‘swallows’ have returned home and so there’s just a little extra space everywhere. You don’t have to park your car 5 blocks away anymore, you can book your restaurant that very day and the Winter Special Deals and Discounts are awesome! Although I really enjoy the busy summer atmosphere of the tourists visiting the Cape, I am also able to enjoy these quiet months to the fullest…6. citrus fruit
As summer approaches, it can sometimes be difficult to find oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits. Quality is often lacking and prices are high. From April to May on, these fruits are back in season and I just love eating them! Naartjies (from Afrikaans meaning tangerine or clementine), oranges, grapefruits and lemons; they are back and they have a lot! Both delicious and healthy and rich in vitamin C. Besides, avocado season starts slowly. At the end of summer, it’s sometimes hard to get good avocados! For example, in February most of the avocados will be imported from Spain and a bit spicy… So, since I love citrus fruits and avocados, I’m always happy when they come back!