Route 62 South Africa: Worcester to Barrydale

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Worcester

   Worcester, in the Western Cape, is the largest town in the Breede River Valley and the traditional beginning of the Route 62 for many travellers, a place of about a hundred and twenty-seven thousand people at the foot of the Hex River Mountains. It sits at the edge of the Cape winelands and it feels it. Vineyards climb the slopes behind the town, irrigated fields spread across the valley floor, and the peaks above turn pink and purple at sunset. In winter they carry snow, a surprise to anyone who thinks of South Africa as permanently warm.

   Read the complete Worcester write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Worcester is where the day begins. Next is Montagu.

2. 2. Montagu

   Montagu sits where the Little Karoo begins, in a fold of the Langeberg mountains, and the way you reach it is part of the charm. From the west, the road runs through Cogmanskloof, a narrow gorge with a short tunnel, and then the valley opens into a landscape of orchards, vineyards and red rock. The little town, with about fifteen thousand people, lines up along Long Street with Cape Dutch and Victorian houses, many carefully restored, and it has been a favourite weekend stop for people from Cape Town for decades.

   Read the complete Montagu write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Montagu comes up about 72 km into the recorded legs. Next is Barrydale.

3. 3. Barrydale

   The R62 through Barrydale is a road of long distances and small surprises. The town is a modest place, sitting in the Little Karoo between the Langeberg and the Swartberg ranges, a few tidy streets, a main road, and a population of a few thousand. It was founded as a farming settlement, and its economy still depends on fruit, olives, sheep and now, increasingly, on travellers on Route 62 who stop for a meal and some air.

   Read the complete Barrydale write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 136 km.