Why this ride
Out of Constantia, one way: 74 km, roughly 1 h 16 in the saddle. The climb of the day is Retreat.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep · part 2
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 74 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 16
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Chapmans Peak Drive
The ride follows Chapmans Peak Drive for 14 km.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 14 km
- Named road
- Chapmans Peak Drive
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Constantia
Constantia is where wine began in South Africa, and it still has the air of a place that knows it. The valley lies on the eastern side of the Table Mountain chain, sheltered from the Atlantic, with old oak avenues, whitewashed Cape Dutch farmhouses and vineyards climbing toward the steep slopes of the Constantiaberg. It is one of Cape Town's leafiest and wealthiest suburbs, but the farms are open to visitors and the roads around it are some of the most beautiful in the city.
Read the complete Constantia write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep photo pull-off is where the day begins. Next is Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep checkpoint 8.
2. Near Constantia
The wooded eastern flank of Table Mountain rises right above this point, a few kilometres from Constantia, where the southern suburbs meet the forests and the mountain. This is Cape Town's green side: oak avenues, pine and gum plantations, old estates and the cool, shaded slopes that catch the clouds when the southeaster blows. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden lies along the same slope, and on its terraces you can walk among proteas, ericas and other plants of the Cape Floral Kingdom with the mountain towering overhead.
Read the complete Near Constantia write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Finish at Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep high point.
3. Retreat
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.
Read the complete Photo stop near Retreat write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
This is where the road stops climbing. Next is Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep scenic road.
4. Retreat
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Photo stop near Retreat write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Clarence Drive Coastal Sweep scenic road, late in the day. Next is Back to Clarence.
5. Back to Clarence
The dot sits well inland of Clarence Drive itself, on the northeastern side of Cape Town where the city thins out toward the winelands, and the ride is on its way home. Kraaifontein, a big working suburb, sits just beside it, while Stellenbosch and Paarl lie a short run to the east. The coast road that gives the ride its name, the R44 between Gordon's Bay and Rooi-Els, is hours behind you by now.
Read the complete Clarence write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Finish at Back to Clarence. That is the ride.