Like walking into a Dutch Masters painting, this stately farmhouse offers rich, welcoming interiors, spaces that envelop you in deeply saturated colors, luxurious textures, and fascinating, age-old curiosities. This circa 1854 home is one of two classified Cape Dutch heritage houses by the same owners. Slightly larger than its neighbor, this residence showcases 18th-century furnishings mingled masterfully with contemporary South African art in an immaculate look that earned it a place in the pages of Condé Nast Traveller and Elle Décor.

This luxuriously warm home emanates an air of nostalgia for gentler times when life was lived in a more leisurely fashion, and utmost attention was paid to creating spaces of lasting beauty. Built in 1854, the charming gabled residence is the oldest inhabited home in the well-preserved historic community of Montagu, on the Western Cape, some two hours’ drive from Cape Town.

With rugged Bloupunt peak as its backdrop, this villa for rent in South Africa is surrounded by majestic views and wide-open spaces and offers immaculate rooms inviting deep relaxation. The residence’s traditional lime plastered walls and well-tended garden are both bursting with life, from fragrant potted citrus to resident free-range hens to a greenhouse lined with succulents and cacti.

Inside, gleaming, wide plank wood floors glide from one richly colored room to another, and river reed ceilings hark back to earlier days in the region. There’s a library awash in a shade of velvety midnight blue, where first editions share shelves with a collection of fine ceramics, and wooden armoires and reading tables stand lovingly patinaed. The gemstone red living room envelops you in confident warmth with its large, wood-burning fireplace opposite deeply cushioned sofas and antique armchairs. King-sized, four-poster beds are each of the two bedroom’s centerpieces, laid with fine linens and cashmere and kept cozy and private behind classic accordion-styled wood shutters. Each bedroom offers access to a private lounge/study, and the en-suite bathrooms are rooms unto themselves, bright, inviting spaces with tile floors and decadently deep, cast-iron bateau bathtubs set before dazzling paned windows.

The farmhouse’s shared spaces indoors include the generous, brick-floored country kitchen and elegantly spare dining area, linked to the kitchen via a glass conservatory filled with native succulents. Outdoors, the raised swimming pool, created to mimic a farm dam, overlooks the chicken coop, and gravel and flagstone pathways and patios feature sunny spots for lounging in a chaise amid the serenity.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The two suites in the house can be rented separately or together. When suites are booked individually, breakfast is provided. For whole property bookings, it is available on request. The  Jonkmanshof breakfast is prepared from seasonal ingredients from the garden and the surrounding area. A three-course farm-style dinner is available for an additional charge for a minimum of four guests, and the booking must be made at the time of reservation. The hosts will gladly assist with recommendations and reservations for restaurants within walking distance.

AROUND

A rural mountain escape along South Africa’s well-traveled Route 62 wine route in the Western Cape, Montagu is surrounded by peaks and rocky outcroppings and is also celebrated for its pastoral landscape of vineyards, orchards, and fertile fields where stone, citrus, and soft fruits are grown in abundance. The area offers a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including mountain biking and hiking—from gentle strolls to more challenging trekking—in its scenic Langeberg range. 

A stay ideal for those seeking the tranquility of a bygone era, this villa for rent in South Africa allows you to unplug and unwind. There is no television, no front desk or animated lobby to distract from your nostalgic experience, only the opportunity to feel at home in a gentle space where utmost attention has been paid to creating beauty. Enjoy meals crafted from local produce, seasonal fruits, homemade preserves and fresh farm milk. Discover handmade ceramics and local lemonade, and artisanal creations. Unwind in or around the pool in the sunny, ivy covered courtyard garden, and stroll through the village taking in historic architecture.

LOCATION

Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa. Nearest airport: Cape Town (approximately 2 ½ hours).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round. Spring is September to November, and summer is December to February.