About Route 62
Cape Route 62 is the tourist route in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, South Africa that meanders between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, the Langkloof and Port Elizabeth, offering the shorter, scenic alternative to the N2 highway.
It’s an area of magnificent landscapes and towering cliffs, crystal clear streams and an abundance of trees and indigenous flora – all contribute to make Paarl, Wellington, the Breede River Valley,Klein Karoo and Langkloof some of South Africa’s most diverse regions. The ever changing colours of the majestic mountains, scenic passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards, as well as the multitude of attractions, will offer you an unforgettable adventure – whether this is in the physical sense or simply a kaleidoscope of scenic tranquillity.
The easily accessible towns, nestled along the valleys, all offer ample opportunity for discovery. From visits to wineries and game reserves, tribal art, cultural tours, museums and for the more adventurous: hiking trails and mountain climbing, 4×4 routes, canoeing, horse riding, even ostrich riding, fishing and caving …
Cape Route 62 lends itself so well to self drive holidays because of the excellent road conditions, sufficient accommodation offerings along the route and the diversity of attractions you’ll encounter along your drive.
Cape Route 62 is an exciting experience, even for the well-travelled. When you are tired after a long day’s travel, you can even unwind in one of the region’s invigorating hot-springs, revel in luxury or relax in rustic tranquillity.
Cape Route 62 prompts associations with the legendary byway, Route 66, connecting the urban and rural communities between Chicago and Los Angeles. In 1926 the inter regional link, Route 66, between Chicago and Los Angeles, was established as one of America’s main east-west arteries, providing small towns access to a major national throughfare. In the same manner Cape Route 62 links Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. This scenic route passes through farming towns such as Calitzdorp, Ladismith, historic Amalienstein, Zoar and the fruit growing and wine producing towns of Barrydale, Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale, Robertson, McGregor, Rawsonville, Worcester, Ceres, Wolseley, Tulbagh, Wellington and Paarl. It includes the Langkloof with the following towns; Misgund, Louterwater, Krakeel, Joubertina and Kareedouw.
Ironically, the public lobby, for rapid mobility and improved highways, which gave Route 66 its enormous popularity in earlier decades, also signalled its demise beginning in the mid 1950’s. Route 66 was replaced by a national highway, which caused a severe decrease in traffic. This greatly affected the smaller towns’ economy along the route, whose survival depended on the vast majority of travellers. With the completion of the N2 highway in 1958, Cape Route 62 suffered the same fate. Even though the villages on this route have been in hibernation for more than 40 years, they have been beautifully preserved – they are all situated in very wealthy farming communities.