Retreat sits on the flat land between the mountains of the Cape Peninsula and the sandy plains that run down to False Bay, a busy, working suburb on Main Road and the railway line south of the city. It is no beauty spot, but it lies right at the foot of some of the finest short rides in Cape Town, and its petrol stations and shops are useful when you are about to climb into the hills or head out along the coast.
The road that makes Retreat worth knowing is Ou Kaapse Weg, the M64, which starts in nearby Tokai and climbs steeply over the mountains to Noordhoek and the Atlantic side. It is a proper mountain road, with long sweepers, tight bends near the top and wide views back over the southern suburbs and False Bay. At the summit you ride through the Silvermine section of Table Mountain National Park, with fynbos on every side, and the descent to Noordhoek reveals the long white beach of Long Beach and the cliffs of Chapman's Peak. The road is popular, policed and occasionally closed for fires or accidents, so ride it with respect.
The other good option is Boyes Drive, which hangs on the mountainside above Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, with False Bay below, surfers in the water and, in winter and spring, the chance of whales offshore. Muizenberg itself, with its colourful beach huts, was where Cecil Rhodes had his cottage, and the coast road south leads through Kalk Bay, a fishing harbour with good fish and chips, to Simon's Town and the penguins at Boulders.
Nature here is fynbos country, part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest and richest of the world's plant kingdoms, with proteas, ericas and restios that flower at different times of year. Tokai Forest, near Retreat, has old plantations and walking trails, and the Steenberg and Constantia wine farms are just to the west.
The weather matters. Summer brings the southeaster, which can blow riders around on the flats and over Ou Kaapse Weg, while winter fronts bring rain and low cloud on the mountains. For the long rides to the Cederberg or Clarence Drive, you head out onto the M5 and the N2 or N7. Retreat has fuel and supermarkets, which makes it a sensible place to fill the tank and grab water before the long road out.