Coastal region – Always take the scenic route
Kogel Bay, Rooi-Els, Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond
Road trips require a couple of things: a well-balanced diet of caffeine, salt and sugar as well as an excellent selection of tunes—oh, and directions.
We recommend this road trip to everyone who comes to South Africa for the first time because one drives slowly along the coast and there is less traffic which is preferable for someone who is not familiar with driving on the left side of the road.
N2 and M165 – from Somerset West to Gordon’s Bay
This is one of the few times that you drive out of our property and turn left. J
At the second stop sign you turn left again onto the N2. Drive the N2 for approx.7,4 km. When you see the Shell petrol station on the right side of the N2, then it’s time to change into the right lane of the N2. At the traffic light / robot you turn right onto the M165 Sir Lowry’s Pass Road in the direction of Gordon’s Bay and Kleimond
Drive this road for approx. 4,6 km until you come to a T-junction with a traffic light. Here you turn left onto the R44
R44 – Clarence Drive
You can take it slow and cruise the scenic Clarence Drive along the steep mountainside to Cape Hangklip. There are numerous parking bays and viewing points where you can stop to embrace the breath-taking views and snap lots of photos.
This must be one of the most beautiful marine drives in the world with the road hugging the mountains on one side and cliffs dropping to the ocean on the other. The rocky shoreline is dotted with pristine beaches.
In the 1930s three business partners acquired several farms with a view to developing a township. They were Arthur Youlden (after whose daughter, Betty, the township was named); Harold Porter (who later donated his own farm as the basis of the present botanical gardens); and Jack Clarence, after whom the scenic drive is named. Jack Clarence was responsible for replacing the footpath with a proper road. It was built with the help of Italian POWs during WW2 and stretches all the way from Gordons's Bay into Kleinmond.
The road takes you over the bridge over the Steenbras River. Further along there will be the little hut and the flag of the shark spotters above the famous surf spot. Shortly after to your right side is the parking bay from where you can walk down to Kogel Bay - an approx. 3 km long stretch of sandy beach.
Rooi-Els
The first settlement is a petite-size village named Rooi-Els, laying sleepily under the Klein-Hangklip mountain. Rooi-Els has remained relatively untouched, an achievement which is mainly due to the ongoing preservation efforts of the local community. Apart from a scattering of tiny shops and restaurants in Rooi-Els, the area is focused on things to do that are based solely on the beauty of the ocean and surrounding mountains.
The villages of Rooi-Els, Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond share a fascinating history. The Hangklip-Kleinmond area is part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and is referred to as “the heart of the fynbos kingdom” – 1600 plant species occur here of which 150 are endemic.
Local folk might have many tales of shipwrecks, pirates and cattle-thieves. Hangklip was formerly known as “cabo Falso” (False Cape) because its resemblance of Cape Point sometime prompted sailors from the east to turn north earlier than they should have.
Pringle Bay
Another quaint village where most of the houses are holiday homes. Pringle Bay is well known for the Hangklip (hanging rock) that leans out to sea and marks the eastern end of False Bay. The bay is named after Rear-Admiral Thomas Pringle, of the Royal Navy.
Betty’s Bay - Stony Point Penguin Colony and Harold Porter Botanical Gardens
Stony Point in Betty’s Bay is home to a colony of Jackass Penguins, one of two shore-based breeding colonies in Southern Africa. Just follow the signs from the R 44 to Stony Point.
Stony Point offers the public the chance to see these wonderful flightless birds up close, via the boardwalk through the colony, which allows the public to observe the penguins go about their daily activities in their natural habitat, without disturbing or disrupting them. The entrance fee is very affordable. You can also spot different species of cormorants and the rock hyrax, also called dassie, Cape hyrax or rock rabbit.
The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens offers a choice of paths under shady trees up Disa Kloof or a rougher path up Luiperd’s Kloof. With about 1,600 plant species, the area contains a floral diversity per unit area that is greater than anywhere else in the world. The Garden consists of 10 hectares of cultivated gardens and 190 hectares of pristine natural fynbos.
Kleinmond is another small coastal town in the Overberg region of the Western Cape province. The town's name, meaning "small mouth" in Afrikaans, refers to its location at the mouth of the Bot River lagoon.
A herd of wild horses is known to roam free in the marshlands at the Bot River lagoon area next to Rooisands Nature Reserve. They are believed to be South Africa's only herd of wild horses in a wetland habitat. Kleinmond's beach is a Blue Flag beach and is popular with South African holiday makers.
Harbour Road is a distinctive destination with a special character and a popular leisure area which provides ample parking and a selection of restaurants and colourful shops. The harbour is situated on a relatively wind-free, small coastal plain and is a working fishing harbour. It is a popular spot with regional recreational fishermen and known for rock lobster, geelbek, cape salmon and a prolific winter snoek run.
Road trips are there to make memories while enjoying the scenery. The drive along the coastal region between Gordon’s Bay and Kleinmond is one that never gets boring. We live here for 24 years and if we want to go on a short trip we head out for lunch at Kleinmond Harbour, looking for shells in Hangklip or a walk on the long sandy beach of Kogel Bay.
