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For the best of the Western Cape, the diverse experiences of Route 62 – which traverses the Winelands, the Breede River Valley, the Little Karoo and the Garden Route – are ideal for those football fans who have a week (or more) to spare.
- Depart Cape Town on the N1 for the Breede River Valley and Paarl, in the Paarl winelands. Cellar tours, a walk along the long main street with its architectural treasures from Cape Dutch to Art Deco, and the view from the imposing Afrikaans Language Monument on a mountaintop, are some of the activities you’ll enjoy.
- There are more historical buildings, picture-perfect scenery and wineries in Wellington. This languid pace will seduce you, so stay the night – there are tons of guesthouses and farm cottages.
- Tulbagh boasts 32 national monuments in Church Street. Hike or drive in the Obiqua Mountains, and sample yet more fruit of the vine at renowned cellars such as Theuniskraal and Twee Jonge Gezellen.
- Ceres, well named for the Roman goddess of fruitfulness, is up next. It is the largest deciduous fruit region in the country. There are fruit farms to tour, good hiking and 4x4 trails here, and San rock paintings. A farm stay is recommended overnight.
- Backtrack a little to Worcester on the third day of your journey. Swop wine for brandy, and visit the KWV Brandy Cellar. Be sure to see the Kleinplasie Open Air Museum, demonstrating old-time farm skills such as blacksmithing, and candle and soap making.
- Robertson on Day Four is all about mountain bikes, 4x4s and horses, and should be combined with the thatched cottages and Victorian homes of McGregor. Taste award-winning cheeses in Bonnievale and spend the night in a lodge on the Breede River.
- Today, make for Montagu, gateway to the Little Karoo and home to natural mineral springs. The terrain changes when you reach Barrydale as the fertile valleys give way to semi-aridity. You’ll soon be aware that there is far more to the Little Karoo than barrenness – your first clue comes at Ladismith, dramatically positioned below the looming mass of Towerkop.
- Begin your sixth day on the road dropping by the historic mission station Amalienstein near Zoar. Then it’s on to Calitzdorp and its rare Red Hills, left tinted by an ocean that retreated 125 million years ago. You are now on course for Oudtshoorn with its glamorous ostrich feather past and the wondrous Cango Caves. Aim to spend a day in the town, and if there’s time, take a short detour to the architectural gem, Prince Albert.
- Depart Oudtshoorn at midday for George on the Garden Route, as the countryside grows lush again. Some of our top golf courses are found in George. On the “to do” list is taking a ride on the steam-propelled Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe and a walk on the untamed Wilderness Beach.
- Leave the seventh day for the delights of Knysna, where the action centres on the Knysna Lagoon, a large estuary protected by two sandstone heads. The wide range of land- and water-based activities will make decisions difficult. Overnight, go “home stay” and hobnob with the locals, or opt for a luxury hotel.
- Make an early start for Plettenberg Bay, holiday haunt of the wealthy, on the final day of your trip. It may be a little cold to loll on the beach, but just right for spotting whales in the Robberg Nature Reserve. Plan to spend a fair deal of time in the Tsitsikamma National Park, a splendid rainforest with rivers and gorges, bordered by a treacherous coastline. Scale the treetops on a canopy tour, scuba dive, abseil and much, much more.
Enjoying the Western Cape? Head from the gorgeous Garden Route to Eastern Cape host city, Port Elizabeth, for some more coastal and inland splendour.
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