Rooi-Els is a handful of houses and a fierce mountain, and the combination is spectacular. The village sits on the shore of False Bay, squeezed between the Atlantic and the cliffs of the Hottentots-Holland and Kogelberg ranges, and the name means red alder, after a tree that grows along the stream. The steep slopes behind the village are covered with fynbos and cut by dark gorges, and the whole place feels like the end of the world.
It is also a favourite haunt of baboons. Troops of chacma baboons roam the Cape peninsula and the coastal mountains, and in Rooi-Els they are used to people. They are clever and can be aggressive, and they have been known to open car doors and raid saddlebags. Do not feed them, keep food secured, and give them room. Rock hyraxes, called dassies, sun themselves on the rocks, and in the sea you may see seals, dolphins, and, in season, whales passing close to shore.
Clarence Drive is the star here. From Gordon's Bay the road climbs along the cliffs, with tight bends, rock overhangs, and views that open to the whole sweep of False Bay, before dropping to the village. At its best it is a rider's road, with a good surface, flowing corners, and the sea at your side. Rockfalls are possible after heavy rain, and sand sometimes drifts across the surface. Traffic is usually light on weekdays but heavier on weekends, and the wind can be strong and gusty.
Fill up in Gordon's Bay, about thirty kilometres to the west, or in Grabouw, inland, before you set off. Bring water, a rain layer, and a sense of patience if you meet a troop of baboons on the road. The best season is spring, when the fynbos flowers and the weather is mild, and the best light is late in the afternoon, when the cliffs glow gold. In midwinter, storms can bring huge swells, and the road is rewarding but must be ridden carefully.