Why South Africa’s Most Spectacular Road Trip Isn’t the One You’ve Been Told About

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South Africa has two road trips competing for the same stretch of map. One gets the tour buses, the Instagram posts, and the weekend traffic. The other runs quietly behind it, through mountain passes, wine cellars, and ostrich farms — and most visitors never even know it exists.

Route 62 is that road. And locals will tell you, in that particular South African way, that they’re perfectly happy keeping it that way.

The Road Behind the Mountains

Most travellers drive straight for the N2 — the coastal Garden Route that threads between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean. Route 62 takes a different path.

It heads inland, through the Klein Karoo: a narrow, dramatic valley flanked by two mountain ranges that seem to fold the sky in half. Roughly 300 kilometres between Worcester in the west and Oudtshoorn in the east.

This is not the flat, featureless Karoo of the imagination. The Klein Karoo is a world of rocky peaks, hidden valleys, and afternoon light that turns everything copper. If you want to understand what South Africa looks like before the coast arrives, this is it.

If you enjoy the broader Karoo wilderness, Route 62 brings you closer to its most dramatic western edge.

Mountain Passes That Change the Journey

The road earns its reputation before you reach the first town. Tradouw Pass winds down from the Langeberg mountains near Barrydale — 14 kilometres of curves, cliffs, and views that cause drivers to pull over just to stand and stare.

Further east, Swartberg Pass is one of the finest mountain roads in Africa. Built by convict labour in the 1880s, it climbs from Oudtshoorn to the Karoo plateau before dropping into the village of Prince Albert on the other side.

No guardrails. No shortcuts. Just stone walls, silence, and altitude. It is the kind of road that changes how you think about distance.

The Port Wine Capital Nobody Talks About

Calitzdorp sits in the middle of Route 62 like a very well-kept secret. One main street, a handful of wine estates, and a sense that time here moves at a different pace entirely.

But Calitzdorp has a bold claim: it is the port wine capital of South Africa. The estates of Boplaas and De Krans have spent decades mastering the rich, fortified wines that Portugal made famous in the Douro Valley — and what they produce in this unlikely Karoo setting regularly wins international awards.

Visit during the annual Calitzdorp Port Wine Festival and you’ll find South Africans celebrating with a fervour that feels entirely proportionate.

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Oudtshoorn and the Ostrich Empire

The eastern anchor of Route 62 is Oudtshoorn — once one of the wealthiest towns in the British Empire. In the late 19th century, ostrich feathers were a global fashion obsession. The town built magnificent houses with the proceeds. Then the fashion died overnight.

The feather palaces still stand. Oudtshoorn today still raises more ostriches than most places on Earth, and the farms that once supplied Victorian ballgowns now offer close encounters with an animal that can kill a lion with a single kick.

Just outside town, the Cango Caves cut deep into the Swartberg foothills — underground chambers that have drawn visitors for two centuries and feel no less extraordinary for it.

The Towns Worth Slowing Down For

Montagu is the first real stop heading east from Worcester: a hot springs town in a red-rock gorge that serves as a welcome to the Klein Karoo. Barrydale has become the region’s artisanal heartbeat — gin distilleries, boutique cheese-makers, and small galleries spread along its quiet main street.

Ladismith sits beneath the Towerkop mountain, its distinctive twin peaks visible from miles away. None of these towns compete with the coast for visitors. What they offer instead is harder to find: South Africa as it actually lives, far from the postcards.

There are no queues for tables here. No tour groups blocking the view. Just good food, open skies, and the quiet satisfaction of a road taken on purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of year to drive Route 62 in South Africa?

Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) offer the most pleasant conditions — warm days, cool evenings, and clear skies. Summer brings intense heat in the Klein Karoo, with temperatures regularly above 35°C. Winter is cold at night but beautiful for wine tasting and quiet travel.

How long does it take to drive Route 62 from start to finish?

The core stretch from Worcester to Oudtshoorn takes roughly four to five hours without stops. Most travellers spread it over two to three days, pausing in Montagu, Barrydale, Calitzdorp, and Oudtshoorn. Adding the Swartberg Pass detour to Prince Albert adds a full day and is well worth it.

Do I need a 4×4 vehicle to drive Route 62?

No. Route 62 itself is fully tarred and can be driven in any standard car. The Swartberg Pass is an unpaved mountain road requiring reasonable ground clearance — a standard car can manage in dry conditions, but always check road conditions before you go.

What are the must-see stops on Route 62?

Don’t skip Tradouw Pass, the port wine estates of Calitzdorp, the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, and Swartberg Pass if road conditions allow. Montagu’s hot springs are a fine place to break up the drive early on.

Route 62 won’t appear on many travel bucket lists. But ask anyone who has driven it — slowly, with time to stop — and they’ll tell you the same thing: they wish they’d gone sooner.

You Might Also Enjoy

• The Town That Built Palaces from Feathers — and Lost Everything Overnight
• Are the Cango Caves Worth Seeing?
• The Karoo: South Africa’s Great Wilderness

Plan Your South Africa Trip

Planning a road trip through South Africa? Our two-week South Africa itinerary can help you build a route that includes Route 62 alongside the coast, the Winelands, and everything in between.

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