Alpaca Loom Barn Tour and Weaving Studio
Normal Price: Adult – R120 | Child – R100
What you get: Free tour (Booking Required)
A memorable experience bringing animals and people closer together.
Get up close to a herd of nearly 350 alpacas on this working farm at the Alpaca Loom in Paarl, Cape Town. You can learn about the South American Alpacas on a fun and informative tour while weavers create luxurious wares using the Alpaca’s unique fleece.
Alpaca Loom Barn Tour and Weaving Studio Highlights
- Feed the Alpacas and other farm animals, including llamas, dromedaries, donkeys, angora goats and skilder bokke
- Relax at the Alpaca Loom Coffee Shop while enjoying decadent cakes and freshly brewed coffee surrounded by stunning views of the Cape Winelands
- View and purchase top-quality woven products handmade from locally grown and processed alpaca fibre
OVERVIEW
Alpaca Loom also boasts a petting zoo, weaving studio and coffee shop. Parents can enjoy the decadent cakes and freshly brewed coffee, while kids can enjoy the Alpaca Loom Barn Tour’s much-loved jungle gym.
Don’t forget to visit the weaving studio, where locals weave handcrafted alpaca-fleece scarves, shawls, ponchos, and blankets available for sale.
The Alpaca Barn Tours are about 45 minutes in the Alpaca Barn with their core breeding herd where one of the animal handlers will tell you a bit about the alpacas. The tour is every hour on the hour, with the first tour starting at 11:00. It also includes entry to the petting zoo too and
The Alpaca Walk is a guided walk where you lead an alpaca on a halter. After a short introduction, you explore the farm and surroundings. The walk duration is about 45 minutes and is offered daily at 10:00 and 16:00. Note that this is by appointment only—book to avoid disappointment.
HISTORY
Dietmar Keil and Kerstin Heisterkamp started their farming adventure in Landskroon, near Landskroon Wine Estate in the Winelands. There they produced veal and free-range pork, with a small herd of 10 alpacas following two years later.
The limited space forced them to seek alternatives, and an adjacent piece of land seemed to be the answer. And so, Klein Landskoon was born. By March 2010, the main breeding herd moved to its new home, and the herd continued to thrive in their new environment.
The Alpaca Loom is now a successful business and tourist destination that boasts a delightful coffee shop and kids’ play area, making it the perfect outing for the whole family.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Hours: Daily from 09:30 am to 05:30 pm
Phone: +27 (0)84 793 3666
Website: www.alpacas.co.za
THINGS TO KNOW
ADVICE FOR VISITORS
The best time to visit this alpaca sanctuary is during birthing season.
On the tour, ask as many questions as possible. The owners and staff are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the animals. And stick around to watch the process of turning alpaca fibre into fabric, located in the studio.
DID YOU KNOW
The process of going from alpaca fur to spectacular garments is a lot more complex than people realise. The alpacas are well-looked after the whole year and come September, they are sheared of their lustrous coats.
The collected fibre is then sorted into different qualities and undergoes a second cleaning procedure by hand. After this, carding takes place to align the fibres for easier spinning, where the fibre is then converted into yarn. The yarn is washed, undergoes weaving to form a fabric, and eventually forms the final product.
