Starting in Cape Town, Route 62 snakes through towns like Montagu, Barrydale, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, and goes all the way to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). Along the way, there are vineyards, Karoo deserts, mountain passes, ostriches – yes, real ostriches. If you’re going to do one road trip in SA, this is a serious contender.
What Makes It So Good (and Slightly Mad)
1. Scenery for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
You’ve got mountains, arid landscapes, green valleys, dusty plains, and skies so big you can lose your shadow in them. The Klein Karoo in particular feels like space captured in geological forms. Every pass, particularly Seweweekspoort and Swartberg, delivers twists, plunges, and views that make you stop and question why you ever considered taking the N2.
2. Wine, Brandy, and Ostriches
If vineyards are your thing, Route 62 is one of the longest wine routes in the world. Towns like Robertson, Worcester, and Calitzdorp are all about vino and brandy. Pair that with the ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn, where you’re likely to see these absurd prehistoric birds strutting around and you have a combo that’s weird, wild, and delightful.
3. Towns That Deserve More Fame
Barrydale, Ladismith, Montagu – these aren’t just rest stops. Barrydale has that frontier-town meets boutique vibe. Montagu has thermal baths. Oudtshoorn has caves and ostriches and a history that feels like it should belong in a Western. Each place has character. Heck, some towns are so quiet that a sheep’s bleat echoes for miles.
4. The Pace Is Slower, But Richer
You can’t speed through Route 62. If you try, you’ll miss everything. The slow climb over passes, the dusty farm roads, the impromptu stop at a cellar for brandy, sitting under a jacaranda in town, or sneaking off to a mission station like Zoar or Amalienstein. The whole route invites you to linger.
What Might Drive You Slightly Nuts (Because There’s Always a Catch)
- Distance + Time: To do it justice, you can’t bolt through. If you only give yourself a few hours, you’ll end up seeing the road and maybe sampling a wine, but little else.
- Road Conditions: Some of the mountain passes and rural sections demand respect. This is not a motorway. There will be gravel, sharp bends, tight switchbacks. You need a decent car and a taste for adventure.
- Amenities Are Sparse: In the more remote stretches, don’t expect gourmet restaurants every 30 km. Sometimes it’s a dorp (town) with one petrol station, one shop, maybe a diner. Plan fuel, food, and overnight stops.
- Weather Can Be Dramatic: Heat by day, cold by night; perhaps a storm in the mountains. Conditions vary wildly, so be prepared. Clothing, vehicle prep – bring the works.
Why Route 62 Beats the “Usual” Route
Because it gives you everything the big roads don’t: solitude, personality, surprise. Rather than flying past identical toll plazas and fast food outlets, you meet people: winemakers, farmers, artisans, characters who seem to have drifted there because the noise of the cities didn’t suit them anymore. It’s more human. More tactile. More alive.
Also, for those of you who like bragging rights: you’ll have driven one of the longest wine routes in the world. That’s a “look what I did” moment. Wine fanatics will nod in respect.
Verdict
Route 62 is a vibe. It’s what you do when you want to escape the curated Instagram feed and feel something real. If I could live somewhere permanently and drive forever, I’d contemplate building a house halfway down Route 62, just to wake up every morning to those Karoo skies.
So if you ever feel like trading the familiar highway hum for the wild whisper of landscapes, give Route 62 a go. It’s messy. It’s beautiful. And once you’ve seen it, you won’t want to un-see it.
If words alone can’t quite bottle the smell of dust after a Karoo thunderstorm or the way Route 62’s mountain passes make your stomach flip like a little pancake, then don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Our Hello Adventure scenic drive videos put you right in the passenger seat, winding past vineyards, sleepy dorps, and those endless, cinematic horizons. Think less “travel brochure” and more “ride-along with a road-tripping couple (Nick & Kim) who actually stopped to find out what makes this road so damn good.” Grab a coffee (or a glass of wine, we won’t judge), hit play, and come along for the ride.
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