South Africa · Garden Route & Swartberg

THE JOURNEY IN DETAIL

Ocean, passes and the Little Karoo.

From Cape Town over Chapman’s Peak and the Cape of Good Hope, through the wine valleys of Franschhoek and the Bainskloof pass into the Little Karoo, then the gravel Swartberg pass, Oudtshoorn and back to the ocean along the Garden Route to Knysna and Tsitsikamma. Africa’s finest tarmac and the nineteenth-century passes of engineer Thomas Bain. A comfortable tour for riders who want corners and good hotels.

• Chapman’s Peak Drive, 114 corners above the ocean
• The Swartberg gravel pass, 1,583 m
• Route 62 through the Little Karoo
• The Knysna lagoon and Tsitsikamma forest

1. 01
   DAY 1 · Briefing

   Cape Town beneath Table Mountain

   Airport pick-up, a hotel near the V&A Waterfront, bike collection and a briefing on riding on the left.

   Overnight: Hotel in Cape Town
2. 02
   DAY 2 · 160 km, coastal tarmac

   The peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope

   Chapman’s Peak Drive, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the Boulders penguins and back via Simon’s Town. A loop around the peninsula.

   Overnight: Hotel in Cape Town
3. 03
   DAY 3 · 210 km, mountain tarmac

   Wine valleys and Bainskloof

   Stellenbosch, the Helshoogte pass and Franschhoek, then via Wellington over the Bainskloof pass of 1847. Night in Ceres or Tulbagh.

   Overnight: Guesthouse in Tulbagh
4. 04
   DAY 4 · 270 km, tarmac

   Route 62 into the Little Karoo

   Over Michell’s pass and through Worcester onto the R62: Montagu, Barrydale and the notorious Ronnies Sex Shop bar. Semi-desert, ostrich farms and a night in Ladismith.

   Overnight: Guesthouse in Ladismith
5. 05
   DAY 5 · 230 km, tarmac

   Meiringspoort and Prince Albert

   Via Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn and the Meiringspoort gorge with its 25 crossings of the Groot river. Night in Victorian Prince Albert at the foot of the Swartberg.

   Overnight: Guesthouse in Prince Albert
6. 06
   DAY 6 · 120 km, 27 km of it gravel

   The Swartberg pass and the Cango Caves

   The gravel Swartberg pass, 1,583 m, built by Bain in 1888, with its dry-stone retaining walls and Karoo views. Down to the Cango Caves and a night in Oudtshoorn.

   Overnight: Guesthouse in Oudtshoorn
7. 07
   DAY 7 · 180 km, tarmac

   Outeniqua and Knysna

   Over the Outeniqua pass, 800 m, to the ocean at George, then the Garden Route past Wilderness and the lakes to the Knysna lagoon. Oyster dinner.

   Overnight: Hotel in Knysna
8. 08
   DAY 8 · 260 km, tarmac and gravel

   Tsitsikamma and Nature’s Valley

   A loop east: the gravel Prince Alfred’s pass, the old R102 through Nature’s Valley and the suspension bridge at the Storms River mouth. Back to Knysna.

   Overnight: Hotel in Knysna
9. 09
   DAY 9 · 400 km, tarmac

   The long road to Hermanus

   West on the N2 over the Tradouw pass and through Swellendam, then the coast via Cape Agulhas, Africa’s southern tip, to Hermanus. In season whales are visible from the shore.

   Overnight: Guesthouse in Hermanus
10. 10
    DAY 10 · 120 km, coastal tarmac

    Clarence Drive and departure

    The coastal R44 Clarence Drive via Gordon’s Bay into Cape Town, bikes returned by noon and an airport transfer for an evening flight.

    Overnight: —