Why this ride
A shore-hugging corridor with open water, cliffs, bays or maritime landscapes. It links naturally to Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and whale coast.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Clarence Drive starting at Grabouw
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 83 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 19
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
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.
Editorial context
Coordinates are curated start-via-end route seeds. They are not a surveyed centreline or navigation geometry. Run road snapping, topology checks, access checks and a live-status review before publication.
Access context
Do not auto-publish. Snap to a routable road network, verify current closures, legal motorcycle access, surface, permits, border controls and local safety information.
Seasonal context
Sep-Apr
Scenic road chapters
Clarence Drive
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 23 km this is Clarence Drive, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 23 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 sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Bettys Bay.
2. 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 comes up 28 km in. Next is Hermanus.
3. Hermanus
In Hermanus, one of the town's municipal employees blows a horn made from kelp to announce the whales. The whale crier is a local tradition, and it makes sense, because between roughly June and November southern right whales come into Walker Bay to calve and play, and from the cliff path that runs along the shoreline you can watch them from a few metres above the surf. Mothers and calves roll in the shallows, males breach and slap the water with their tails, and you hear their breath carried across the bay. It is among the best land-based whale watching in the world.
Read the complete Hermanus write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
83 km in you reach Hermanus.
Recorded source links
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Clarence Drive from Grabouw · 37 km
- Hermanus Whale Coast · 238 km