Why this ride
A 37 km one-way ride from near Grabouw, about 42 min of riding. On the way it passes Kogel Bay and Rooi Els. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Clarence Drive from Grabouw
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 37 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 42 min
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. 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
Clarence Drive
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 13 km this is Clarence Drive, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 13 km
- Named road
- Clarence Drive
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Gordons Bay
Gordon's Bay is a small harbor town at the northeastern corner of False Bay, with the Hottentots Holland mountains rising abruptly behind it and the Atlantic-facing bulk of the Cape Peninsula far away across the water. It is the start of Clarence Drive, the coastal road that clings to the cliffs along the eastern shore of False Bay, and for many riders it is the gate to one of the best short rides in the Western Cape. The town itself is a laid-back place with a marina, a few restaurants and a beach that fills up in summer.
Read the complete Gordons Bay write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gordons Bay is where the day begins. Next is Kogel Bay.
2. Kogel Bay
Clarence Drive is the coast road that South Africans point to when they want to impress visitors, and Kogel Bay is one of its quieter pleasures. The road squeezes between steep mountain slopes and the cold Atlantic, hugging the cliffs for miles, and then dips to a long, pale beach where the dunes roll up against the fynbos. The sea here is rough and the undertow dangerous, so it is a place for walking and watching rather than swimming.
Read the complete Kogel Bay write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kogel Bay comes up about 13 km into the recorded legs. Next is Rooi Els.
3. Rooi Els
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.
Read the complete Rooi Els write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 24 km into the recorded legs you reach Rooi Els. Next is Bettys Bay.
4. Bettys Bay
Betty's Bay lies about midway along Clarence Drive, a scattering of low houses between the mountains and the sea, and it is the part of the coast where nature takes over. It lies within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized area that holds one of the highest concentrations of plant species anywhere on earth, with fynbos shrubs such as proteas, ericas and restios covering the slopes in a bewildering variety. In spring, the colors are wonderful, and in winter the mountains are sharp with cloud and rain.
Read the complete Bettys Bay write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Bettys Bay closes the day.
Leg by leg
Gordons Bay to Kogel Bay
Gordons Bay → Kogel Bay is 13 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Kogel Bay to Rooi Els
Kogel Bay → Rooi Els is 11 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Rooi Els to Bettys Bay
Rooi Els → Bettys Bay is 13 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.