Route 62 and the Karoo
The inland alternative to the coast: vineyards, spectacular passes, ostrich farms and the sleepy villages of the Little Karoo — South Africa's Route 66, only better.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
Between the Cape mountains and the Garden Route, the R62 crosses a country of vines (Robertson, Barrydale), 19th-century passes and semi-desert plains where the villages seem stopped in time — Montagu and its hot springs, Calitzdorp and its local port wine, Prince Albert beyond the vertiginous Swartberg Pass.
It is the connoisseurs' road: take it outbound to reach Oudtshoorn (world ostrich capital and gateway to the Cango Caves), and return along the coast — or the reverse. Two to three nights turn a mere transit into one of the trip's best memories.
Don't miss
- The Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert: a gravel pass listed as a national monument
- The Cango Caves, among the continent's finest chambers of formations
- Montagu: hot springs, climbing, and early-morning light on the orchards
- A tasting in the Robertson cellars or Calitzdorp's port
Our tips on the ground
- The Karoo bakes in summer (often 35-40 °C in January-February): passes and visits in the morning, pool in the afternoon.
- The Swartberg Pass is gravel: in dry weather a careful sedan passes; after rain, enquire before committing.
- Fill up in every town: stations are spaced out and close early.
Our flagship guide — €44
Guide available“South Africa on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
No time to do it yourself?
A professional can take care of it: tailor-made trip, equipped 4x4 rental or a local guide. Describe your plans and, with your consent, we pass them on to partner professionals.
1. What you need
Before you go
Readers' questions about Route 62 and the Karoo
Route 62 or the coastal N2?
Both — that is precisely the point. Out on the R62 (interior, passes, Karoo), back on the N2 (coast, lagoons, forests) makes a perfect ten-day loop from Cape Town without repeating a road.
Where to stay on Route 62?
In the villages' characterful guesthouses: Montagu, Barrydale, Calitzdorp and Prince Albert brim with Victorian-charm guesthouses at €50-90 per room. Booking is useful at weekends, unnecessary midweek outside holidays.