WESTERN CAPE COUNTRY ROUTES
Cape Town is the base from where most holidays in South Africa start and end.
We suggest that you spend a couple of days in the Cape, exploring.
The country routes we suggest, all link into one another and will, depending on personal taste, take you on a round trip through all the unexplored corners of the Western Cape Province.
The descriptions of what to see and do are by no means complete and we suggest that you also consult other guidebooks for more detailed advice.
CAPE PENINSULA ROUTE (± 250 Km / 155 Mile, round trip CT to CT)
Cape Town - Camps Bay - Hout Bay - Constantia - Muizenberg - Simonstown - Cape Point - Scarborough - Kommetjie - Fish Hoek - Ou Kaapse Weg - Kirstenbosch - Cape Town
Start the day with a ride around the playgrounds of the rich and famous in Clifton and Camps Bay and continue along Victoria Drive to Hout Bay - overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the road makes for one of the most magnificent drives in the world. End the day with views across the Atlantic Ocean or experience the serenity of Cape Town’s private game reserve in the Durbanville Hills wine lands.
OVERNIGHT:
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
Visit the unique Gold of Africa Museum in the city, Castle Good Hope, Constantia Wine Estate, Seal island cruise, Cape Point, Penguin Colony at Boulders, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and Culinary and gourmet tours.
FOUR PASSES ROUTE (± 162 Km / 100 Mile, round trip CT to CT)
Cape Town - Somerset West - Sir Lowry’s Pass - Houwhoek Pass - Franschhoek Pass - Helshoogte Pass - Stellenbosch.
Depart the Mother City on a full day’s scenic adventure along the ‘Four Passes Route’. Leave Cape Town on the N2 to Elgin and Grabouw in the heart of the apple industry and then cross back over the highlight of the day - the Franschhoek Pass - into the wine lands. Franschhoek is a unique ‘French’ town named after the French Huguenot’s who were settled in this valley by the Dutch in 1688. Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in the country is settled in the heart of the wine lands and is renowned for its Cape Dutch architecture, water furrows along oak-lined streets and its university.
OVERNIGHT:
Stellenbosch - Eendracht Boutique Hotel (***)
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
Farm visits, Huguenot Monument, Wine tasting, Van Rhyn Brandy Cellar, Stellenbosch Village Museum.
HISTORICAL ROUTE 62 – South Africa’s equivalent of America’s "Route 66", linking small farming communities with two harbour towns, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The most scenic route for 2010 soccer tourists traveling between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
Cape Town – Paarl - Wellington - Bainskloof Pass – Tulbagh - Worcester - Robertson - Montagu - Barrydale - Ladismith - Huisrivier Pass - Calitzdorp - Oudtshoorn - De Rust - Misgund - Joubertina - Kareedouw - Jeffrey's Bay - Port Elizabeth
Cape Town is the most visited tourist destination in South Africa, with the Garden Route the 3rd after the Kruger National Park. Route 62 is the historic route, which links Cape Town and the Garden Route passing through 14 village that stood still in time.
One has the option of starting the trip via the West Coast and Cederberg Routes as described hereafter, OR start your cross-country journey via Paarl, Wellington and the old Bainskloof Pass to Worcester along the famous and historic Route 62.
Paarl, so called because of the huge granite outcrop on the mountain, outside the town, which gleams like a pearl under certain light conditions. This lovely wine-route town is one of the three oldest settlements in the country. A treasure house of architecture is found in the Main Street. Staring at the "Strooidakkerk" (thatched roof church) with the Zeederberg Square next to it, this is surrounded by Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian houses.
Take a conducted tour of the massive KWV cellar. Visit the impressive "Taalmonument" (language monument), dedicated to the Afrikaans language.
Wellington, also called Wagenmakers Vallei, is reached by following the R44. So called because a wagon building industry sprang up here when diamonds were discovered in the Kimberley area. A tour pamphlet from the Info Office will help you to explore this charming village on foot.
Tulbagh can be reached via the Bainskloof Pass, a national monument along its entire length or by driving around the mountain through the Nieukloof Pass. Tulbagh, a historic town with a wealth of Cape Dutch architecture was extensively damaged in the 1969 earthquake and has since been restored to its old world splendour. It has the largest concentration of un-interrupted national monuments in South Africa. A walk down historical Church Street with its many museums and antique shops as well as arts and crafts is not to be missed.
Visit the KWV Brandy Cellar at Worcester, largest of its kind in the world, for a cellar tour and brandy tasting. Taste wine at one of the many wine cellars along the fertile Breede River valley.
Montagu, the heart of Route 62, is famous for its heritage in brandy making, wine, fruit, mountains and the natural hot springs. Cogmans Kloof is the natural gateway into Montagu and a National Monument over its entire length. This area is an area of magnificent views, panoramic landscapes, towering cliffs, crystal-clear streams and an abundance of trees and indigenous flora.
The Langeberg Mountain range along the eastern part of the historic Route 62 forms a natural barrier between the fertile Breede River valley and the sunburned rock garden of the Little Karoo and Oudtshoorn, the capital of the Ostrich feather industry. Fertile valleys are linked to the Garden Route and the Eden Coastal Route on the one side and the Groot Karoo on the other side by rugged, beautiful mountain passes such as the spectacular old "Seweweekspoort Pass", Schoemanspoort or the shorter Tradouws Pass back to Swellendam and Mossel Bay.
En-route to Oudtshoorn you will pass through the towns of Barrydale, Ladismith and Calitzdorp. Each of these towns has it's own uniqueness. Ronnie's Sex Shop near Barrydale is probably the most famous and worth a stop. Calitzdorp is also known as the port wine capital of the route.
From Oudtshoorn, continue on Route 62 with the Kammanassie Mountains and the Kouga Mountain ranges flanking the long fertile valley called ‘Langkloof’, one of South Africa’s oldest farming communities. This eventually narrows down to a small valley in the shadow of the Tsitsikamma Mountains as you make your way back to the N2 Highway, near Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay and on to Port Elizabeth.
Port Elizabeth - Zuurberg – Greater Addo National Park
Port Elizabeth is a harbour city known as the "Friendly City" and has a strong colonial history dating back to the 1820 British Settlers. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the area around Port Elizabeth or relax in the bracing mountain air of the Zuurberg with game drives into Addo Elephant Park and a variety of wilderness experiences.
OVERNIGHT:
Wellington
- Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate
Montagu
- Montagu Country Hotel (***)
- Airlies (****).
Calitzdorp
Oudtshoorn
- Yotclub B&B (***)
- Oakdene Guest House (***)
Jeffrey's Bay
- A1KYNASTON B&B /A1 BAY VIEW (*** and AA Awards finalist in 1998 AND 1999)
Port Elizabeth
- Zuurberg Mountain Inn (****)
- The Beach Hotel (****)
THINGS TO SEE AND DO ON ROUTE 62:
Visit the ‘Kleinplasie Living Open Air Museum’, the KWV Brandy Distillery, wine tasting, visit the Brandy Exhibition at the Montagu Museum, ‘Big 5’ game drives.
Ronnie’s "Sex Shop" (near Barrydale), Cango Caves, Cango Ostrich farms, Cheetah Ranch, Cango Wildlife Ranch visit the Barrydale Wine Cellar and the Boplaas Estate for port, wine and brandy tasting in Calitzdorp and at nearby private distilleries: Grundhiem, Kango Co-Operative and Mons Ruber.
‘Big 5’ Game viewing, golf, casino, aquarium, beaches, Addo Elephant Park.
WEST COAST ROUTE (the alternative to an immediate start of the Route 62)
Cape Town – Langebaan - Saldanha – Vredenburg – Moorreesburg – Riebeeck Wes – Hermon – Route 62
Drive from Cape Town to the West Coast towns of Langebaan and Saldanha, well-known fishing towns on the drier cold Atlantic coast. You’ll have time to visit the West Coast National Park an important wetlands area before journeying via Moorreesburg, Riebeeck Wes and Hermon onto Route 62.
OVERNIGHT:
Saldanha/Vredenburg
Darling
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
Golf, wine tasting, West Coast National Park, Fossil Park, Beach Restaurants.
CEDERBERG ROUTE (continuing on an alternative before joining Route 62)
Lamberts Bay – Clanwilliam – Citrusdal – Route 62
An alternative for tourists with more time is to drive from Vredenburg (on the West Coast Route) to Lamberts Bay (partially gravel road), from there to Clanwilliam and Citrusdal, which is in the heart of the Cederberg Route. One then links onto the Route 62 via Ceres (partially gravel road) and the R318 to rejoin the Route 62 at Montagu.
SWARTBERG PASS ROUTE
Oudtshoorn – Swartberg Pass – Prince Albert – Klaarstroom – Meiringspoort – De Rust – Oudtshoorn
From Oudtshoorn, drive over the spectacular Swartberg Pass to the village of Prince Albert. Then drive to Klaarstroom and return to Oudtshoorn via Meiringspoort, another one of natures wonders, and the little town of De Rust.
If you want to experience the vastness of the Great Karoo, drive from Prince Albert along the N1, to Beaufort West and then down to Oudtshoorn via Meiringspoort. Beaufort West has the Chris Barnard museum and fossils from pre historic times can be seen in the Karoo National Park.
GARDEN ROUTE
Plettenberg Bay - Knysna - Wilderness lakes - George
Drive along the most spectacular stretches of the Garden Route, the Eden of South Africa. The lush vegetation of the Garden Route is in spectacular contrast to the arid beauty of the Klein Karoo. A rugged coastline, indigenous forests, waterfalls and long beaches of white sand are found all along the route. The world’s highest bungee jump (216 metres) is situated at the Bloukrans Bridge near the Tsitsikamma Forest and Coastal National Park. Visit the Dolphin Research Station and the Knysna Elephant Park. Knysna is a quaint seaside village on a lagoon known for the yellowwood forest, fresh-water oysters and art & crafts. You will need a full day at leisure to relax or explore the area around Knysna, "The Heart of the Garden Route".
Traveling west pass through the Wilderness lakes - a favorite nature spot for sailing and fishing - to Mossel Bay.
OVERNIGHT:
Knysna
Wilderness
George
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
Monkey Land primate sanctuary, lagoon cruise, Knysna Quays & Waterfront, Featherbed Nature Reserve, Dolphin & Whale Research Station. Knysna market, Knysna Oyster Farm, Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train, Knysna Elephant Park, The Old Fort, NSRI Aquarium, Knysna Forest
EDEN COASTAL ROUTE
Mossel Bay - Swellendam - Cape Agulhas (southern tip of Africa)
Mossel Bay, where Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias first met with the indigenous Khoi-San people in 1488 at the start of the Eden Coast known for its many beaches, shipwrecks, sharks and whales and for Botlierskop Wilderness Reserve.
From here you travel inland to the one-time rebellious colony town of Swellendam. Heading south, make for the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. Lunch at the 19th Century lighthouse. The coastline in this area is infamous for the numerous sailors’ lives it has claimed. A museum in Bredasdorp commemorates the many ships that fell foul of the turbulent currents and razor sharp rocks. Arrive in Stanford at day’s end, with the possibility of seeing whales or sharks as the sun slips over the horizon.
OVERNIGHT:
Mossel Bay
- Huijs te Marquette (***)
- Highview Lodge (****)
Albertinia
Swellendam
- Jan Harmsgat Country House
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
Post Office Tree (a massive milk wood tree over 500 years old), Dias Maritime Museum, seal island cruise, Khoi-San cave at Cape St. Blaize
Whale watching, Birkenhead Brewery, Elim Moravian Mission,
Shipwreck Museum (the only one in S. Africa)
WHALE ROUTE
Stanford - Hermanus - Betty’s Bay - Kleinmond - Gordon’s Bay - Cape Town
For the adventurous, an optional shark diving experience in the morning. Then a ride through one of the World’s richest floral kingdoms - the small Kleinmond region alone is home to more species of flora that the whole of Western Europe! Ride into Cape Town via Betty’s Bay and Gordons Bay, hugging the False Bay coast. The glorious sight of Table Mountain greets you from a distance as you approach Cape Town.
OVERNIGHT:
Hermanus
Betty's Bay
THINGS TO DO AND SEE:
White Shark Diving, Sunset cruise on the river, whale watching, wine tasting
SHORTER tours are available as follows:
3-DAY-2 NIGHT ROUND TRIP FROM CAPE TOWN TO CAPE TOWN
Cape Town, Langebaan, Saldanha, Hermon, Tulbagh, Ceres, Worcester, Stormsvlei, Bredasdorp, L’Agulhas/Struisbaai, Stanford, Hermanus, Kleinmond, Bettiesbaai, Gordons Bay.
Drive the west Coast route to rejoin the Route 62 at Worcester. Follow the Route 62 to Montagu and drive to the Whale Route over Stormsvlei. Follow the Whale Route back to Cape Town.
WINE & BRANDY Route
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Montagu, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, Stanford & Hermanus.
GOLF Route
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Montagu, Swellendam, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Port Elizabeth.
WILDLIFE & PHOTOGRAPHIC Route
Flowers, Birds, Big 5, Whales, White Sharks, Dolphins and Penguins.