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.
On our publishing schedule
Coming soon“South Africa on your own”, the complete edition, is in preparation
Same method as our Namibia guide: day-by-day itineraries, driving, a costed budget and checklists. Leave us your address and you'll hear about the launch — at the launch price.
In the meantime, our reference
The “Namibia on your own” guide — €29
- The same method, already applied to Africa's easiest self-drive country
- 3 day-by-day itineraries, 4x4 insurance decoded, costed budget
- Instant download, 14-day guarantee — currently in French, English edition coming
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.