Franschhoek Pass and Winelands · short arc

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Fuel stop near Kraaifontein

   Kraaifontein lies on Cape Town's northern edge, where the suburbs give way to wheat fields, vineyards and the first ranges of the Boland. Its name means crow's fountain, a reminder of a time when this was a farm with a spring rather than a busy suburb on the N1. For riders, it is the threshold between the city and the Winelands.

   Read the complete Fuel stop near Kraaifontein write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Franschhoek Pass and Winelands is where the day begins. Next is Cape Town / Western Cape return.

2. 2. Atlantis

   Atlantis is not a postcard town, and nobody here pretends it is. It was built from scratch in the 1970s on the sandy plains north of Cape Town, part of the apartheid government's plan to move coloured families out of the city and to create an industrial centre far from the suburbs. The result was a planned town of factories, schools and housing estates, some forty-five kilometres from the city, which still struggles with unemployment and crime. It is worth understanding that history as you ride through.

   Read the complete Atlantis write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Cape Town / Western Cape return comes up about 34 km into the recorded legs. Next is Franschhoek Pass and Winelands food stop.

3. 3. Cape Town

   Cape Town sits at the foot of Table Mountain, a flat-topped sandstone wall about a kilometre high, and on a day when the tablecloth of cloud spills over the edge it is one of the great sights of the world. The city lies between the mountain and the Atlantic, with a harbour that was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for ships on the route to the East. It grew into a port of many cultures, and the mix of Dutch, Malay, African and British influences is still visible in its food, language and architecture.

   Read the complete Cape Town write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   A break here. Next is Franschhoek Pass and Winelands photo pull-off.

4. 4. Bergvliet

   Bergvliet itself is a quiet grid of suburban houses and jacaranda trees in Cape Town's southern suburbs, but look up and you see why the ride starts here. Directly above it, the Ou Kaapse Weg climbs the flank of the Steenberg mountains in a series of long, fast bends, crosses the saddle at Silvermine and drops down the far side towards Noordhoek and the Atlantic. It is the old wagon route across the peninsula, and on a clear morning it is one of the best ten minutes of riding in the city.

   Read the complete Bergvliet write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The high point of this section. Next is Franschhoek Pass and Winelands checkpoint 8.

5. 5. 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 Franschhoek Pass and Winelands checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Franschhoek Pass and Winelands high point.

6. 6. Stellenbosch

   Stellenbosch is the second-oldest European settlement in South Africa, founded in 1679 by the governor Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself and his wife's family, and it has the look of a town that has been carefully looked after. Oak trees line the streets, white Cape Dutch houses with curved gables stand behind them, and the mountains rise on every side, purple at dusk. It is also a university town, home to the Afrikaans-speaking Stellenbosch University, which gives the centre a young, lively atmosphere.

   Read the complete Fuel stop near Stellenbosch write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Franschhoek Pass and Winelands high point is the summit of this stretch. Next is Scenic stretch near Stellenbosch.

7. 7. Scenic stretch near Stellenbosch

   Stellenbosch is the second-oldest European settlement in South Africa, founded in 1679 by the governor Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself and his wife's family, and it has the look of a town that has been carefully looked after. Oak trees line the streets, white Cape Dutch houses with curved gables stand behind them, and the mountains rise on every side, purple at dusk. It is also a university town, home to the Afrikaans-speaking Stellenbosch University, which gives the centre a young, lively atmosphere.

   Read the complete Fuel stop near Stellenbosch write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Scenic stretch near Stellenbosch closes the day.