Past Oudtshoorn the road empties out. The Swartberg range on the left, the Langeberg eventually on the right, and in between farms, vines and villages with a church and a café. Route 62 links Cape Town with Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) through the interior, 850 kilometres long, and bills itself as the longest wine route in the world. From Mossel Bay you drive it as an alternative to the N2: over the Robinson Pass to Oudtshoorn, then west through Calitzdorp, Ladismith and Barrydale until the road reaches the winelands at Montagu and Robertson.
- the full length of Route 62
- 850 km
- centre of South African port
- Calitzdorp
- driving time to Cape Town, roughly
- 6 hours
- with stops
- 1 day
Calitzdorp is the centre of South African port, with estates that wave you off the road for a tasting. Between Barrydale and Ladismith stands Ronnie’s Sex Shop, a bar with bras hanging from the ceiling that owes its name to a joke played on the signboard, and it is still a compulsory stop for motorcyclists. Allow a full day for the run to Cape Town, five and a half to six and a half hours of driving without the stops. And plan it as the way back, not the way out. By then you will have seen the coast.
- Time needed
- a full day to Cape Town
- Cost
- free, tastings by estate
- When
- all year, hot in summer
- From Mossel Bay
- 85 km, 75 minutes
Our tipTake Route 62 on your departure day towards Cape Town, provided you have a night there. Without that night it gets tight for the flight.
Route 62: frequently asked questions
How do you get from Mossel Bay onto Route 62?
On the R328 over the Robinson Pass to Oudtshoorn, around 85 kilometres. Oudtshoorn sits on Route 62; from there the road runs west through Calitzdorp, Ladismith and Barrydale towards Montagu and Cape Town.
How long does Route 62 take from Mossel Bay to Cape Town?
Around five and a half to six and a half hours of driving through Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp and Barrydale, and a full day with stops. The N2 along the coast is considerably shorter at four to four and a half hours.
What is Ronnie’s Sex Shop?
A bar on Route 62 between Barrydale and Ladismith, known for the bras on its ceiling and for how it got its name: a joke played on the shop sign. What it sells is beer. From Mossel Bay it lies a few hours past Oudtshoorn on the way to Cape Town.