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The Swartberg Pass - Cape Town Tours - South Africa
The Swartberg Pass is probably the most spectacular mountain pass in the Western Cape Province. An adventurous 2 hour journey through the pass begins in the small and dreamy town of Prince Albert. The distance from Prince Albert to the Cango Caves, which lies at the edge of the town, is about 70 km.
After approximately 35 km from the town of Prince Albert, one reaches the highest point of the Swartberg Pass. It is 1.600 metres high, and from this point, there is a unbelievably good view over the Great- and Klein Karoo, as well as the mountain range.
The Swartberg Pass is one of the many masterpieces of the engineer, Thomas Bain, who built the pass with very basic materials between 1881 and 1888 with 240 prisoners.
Our tip:
During rainy weather, we would not recommend the tour through the Swartberg Pass. A gravel road which can be very exciting can be expected. During good weather, a maximum speed of 35 km/h is recommended.
Roundtrip: Cape Town – Matjiesfontein – Swartberg Pass – Oudtshoorn – Knysna – Cape Town
If you want to visit the Garden Route, we would like to describe a special trip for you. We advise that you start early morning, latest at 9h00 from Cape Town.
You drive on the N 1 towards Paarl. You travel further to Matjiesfontein, which is about 250 km from Cape Town. Matjiesfontein is a historical town which was built by (Jimmy), and is a worthwhile stop. Calculate a stop of at least 2 hours, because the town offers many worthwhile sights.
From here, the journey continues on the N 1 to Prince Albert. Thereafter, one turns right onto the Swartberg Pass. You will need about 2 hours to complete the 70 km long Pass. Many parking areas invite you to rest for a while. You will experience an impressive mountain region and many viewpoints of the Klein and Great Karoo.
If you drive through the pass in the direction of Oudtshoorn, you arrive at the Cango Caves. We advise you to find a guest-house in Oudtshoorn, because on this day, you will have seen and experienced a lot. A visit to the Cango Caves should be undertaken on the following day.
Oudtshoorn has much to offer and we recommend a stay of at least 2 to 3 days.
The roundtrip continues further to Knysna via George. Here, we would recommend a stay of at least 3 days. Thereafter, you continue on the N 2 via Somerset West back to Cape Town.
From Knysna to Cape Town, you require about 5.5 hours. The distance is about 550 km.
Alternatively, you could travel from Kynsna to Oudtshoorn along the Route 62 via Robertson to Cape Town. This route is about 50 km longer, than the route along the N2.
Beaufort West - Matjiesfontein - Oudtshoorn - Swartberg Pass - Calitzdorp - Ladismith - Laingsburg - Prince Albert
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