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31 hand-picked stays

Cosy getaways with fireplaces

A crackling fire, a bottle of red and the rain outside: this is the winter getaway. These are the romantic cottages, cabins and lodges in South Africa where a fireplace or wood-burning stove is part of the stay.

Almost all of the fireplace stays we list are in the Western Cape, where winter (roughly May to August) brings cold, wet days and long evenings that are made for staying in. Look at the Cape Winelands, the Breede Valley around Robertson and Montagu, the Overberg, the Cederberg and the Garden Route. Many pair the fireplace with a wood-fired hot tub, which makes for a very good weekend.

Most places supply firewood, at least for the first night, but it is worth checking, and worth asking whether the fire heats the whole cottage or just the living area. A few safari lodges also have fireplaces in their suites, which is welcome on chilly winter game-drive mornings.

If you are going in winter, pack properly for the cold and the rain. If you are going in summer, a fireplace is still lovely on a cool mountain night, and the hot tub will be glad of the company.

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