South Africa Part 3. Swartberg Mountains

This is the third of four parts detailing a three week cycling tour around South Africa in March 2026. Here are the links to Part One, Part Two. and Part Four.

When it was time to move on from the charming village of Prince Albert, we had two route options. The original plan had been to follow a largely paved road to De Rust, and from there to continue towards Uniondale, then Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.

However, having spent time in the region and done further research, we changed our minds. Knysna and Plettenberg are two of the main tourist towns on the Garden Route, with coastal scenery and some nice hiking. However, they don't look all that great for cycling, at least not compared with the Swartberg Mountains. The route there would also have involved spending more time on paved roads (including over the Meiringspoort), which didn't appeal much, given the aggressive driving here.

Instead, we decided to enjoy the Swartberg Pass once more, this time from the more scenic north side. We would then spend a few nights at a game reserve and ostrich farms, before heading over the Robinson Pass towards Mossel Bay.

Swartberg Pass & Game Reserve

So the day began with the most challenging climb of the trip - the north side of the Swartberg Pass. All in all, it was easier than expected; the gravel was mostly in good condition and, apart from one steep section leading into the first hairpin bend, the gradients were manageable.

However, we didn't ride it for the challenge, we came here again for the stunning scenery. There was different lighting tackling the pass in the morning, and it was more sunny than when we had arrived over it three days earlier. The rock formations were dazzlingly spectacular, and the views ascending the hairpin bends were magnificent.

I enjoyed climbing this side even more than from the south, particularly the upper section which had glorious open views and a great surface. If you are in the area, I highly recommend riding the pass from both sides. The scenery is so different that it is like doing two completely different routes. The road is something of a tourist attraction, but (on weekdays) we were passed by no more than a dozen cars on the entire road, so most of the way you are by yourself and can choose the best line to ride.




After pausing to admire the scenery at the top of the pass, and having a chat with some local drivers about snakes they had seen in the area (including a cape cobra), we descended the rougher south side. The gravel here was a bit gnarly in some of the steep corners, but I never felt like losing control, even with relatively narrow tyres.

At a brief refreshment stop in Kobus se Gat restaurant, we encountered the only other cycle tourists we saw all trip. They were a Russian couple on a three month adventure, riding from Cape Town all the way up to Durban. We were pleased to hear that the Swartberg Region was by far their favourite part of the trip so far!

The rolling road from Matjesrivier then took us towards the Doringkloof pass and to the Swartberg Game Reserve where we spent two nights. We were excited to stay at the game reserve where you can basically do a self-guided cycling safari around their many tracks and trails. There are no lions, rhinos, hippos or cape buffalo here, so it is considered pretty safe to explore. There are cape leopards, but they are hardly ever spotted, and you have to keep an eye out for venemous snakes, but that's no different to riding anywhere else in the Klein Karoo.

I have included the track we followed around the game reserve (they don't have maps, so you have to plot your own route). It was only about 25km, with around 500m of climbing, but we saw literally hundreds of incredible animals during that time. Kudu, gazelle, eland and springbok were scattered all around the park; there were several herds of wildebeest, there was a group of giraffes, and several gangs of zebras - most of whom were very shy, but one was slightly more aggressive and tried to intimidate us. I apologise for the poor quality of the photos below; I was using my old, cheap phone because I didn't want to risk my newer one getting stole in one of the cities!

The animals were generally scared of our presence and so tended to run away or keep a distance, but at times we encountered them at very close proximity. It was impressive to see the power and elegance of the animals, inclduing feeling the floor vibrate during a stampede of wildebeest. In the evening, you could also see porcupines and large tortoises strolling close to the accommodation.

The Swartberg Game Reserve was also a nice place to relax, with a swimming pool, decent restaurant and comfortable rooms. It was quite expensive compared with what we usually pay for accommodation, but well worth it for the experience of a cycling safari!

Boplaas

From the Game Reserve we headed south on a dirt road towards Oudtshoorn. The first part of this road was excellentl it passed through another game reserve where we spotted some giraffe and a cape buffalo (fortunately behind a fence!), before heading into a remote valley where there were lots of timid baboons. The surface was good for the first part, the road flowing gently downhill with only a few rough sections that could be avoided.

After around 20km of the ride we reached the first farm on the road (Straussenest). From here it continued to be picturesque, but the surface was rougher with some annoying corrugations. Presumably this was because of the tractors and trucks using the road from this point; it was a bit uncomfortable at times, but still all rideable.

The gravel road came to an end at the junction with the R62 - a main road heading into Oudtshoorn. Traffic was not too heavy for the short section we were on the road, although there were a few cars and they typically would overtake at very high speed. We felt that it was safer to ride in the rough gravel shoulder, at least until the cars and trucks were forced to slow down on the edge of Oudtshoorn.

In Oudtshoorn we headed north, taking a very quiet and scenic dirt road alongside the Grobbelaar River. Lucia was completely uninterested in my references to the former Liverpool goalkeeper of the same name; my quip about getting spaggheti legs on the slightly corrugated surface was met with only a confused and slightly contemptuous look.

The road itself was great; it was surprisingly picturesque road and passed by some small settlements and farms, before arriving at the village of Schoemanshoek, our lunch stop.





Schoemanshoek is a small, well-to-do village which is home to several wineries. One of them, Karusa, also runs a craft brewery, which sounded like too good an opportunity to pass up on. We enjoyed a fabulous pizza in their garden, surrounded by a lake and vineyards, while sampling their local pale ales and porter. It's a bit off the beaten track, but I highly recommend this as a stop if you are in the area!

It was only a 3km ride from Karusa to our hotel at Old Mill Nature Lodge. This is a working ostrich farm, which also had a wide array of other animals. Among these were hundreds of domesticated rabbits, that were just roaming freely around the large site. It was a charming place, with another good restaurant, and also served one of the best buffet breakfasts we had on the trip!

It was heading toward the Easter holidays at this point and so the accommodations, which had been almost empty on previous days, were starting to fill up. Many of those staying at the Old Mill were planning to visit the nearby Cango Caves - a dramatic underground complex, that was apparently the first ever tourist attraction in South Africa.




If we had more time, then we may well have visited the caves. However, we only had five nights left before the flight home, and wanted to spend as much time as possible on the bike.

The Klein Karoo had been a fascinating region to explore, with more historic villages than in much of South Africa. You can see from the names of towns like Prince Albert and George, that there was some British influence; however, the Dutch were far more prominent in shaping this region. The names of many other towns and features are in Afrikaans, and although many people are bilingual (or multilingual), the main language spoken was Afrikaans, particularly in Prince Albert and the outskirts of Oudtshoorn.

We would spend one more night in Klein Karoo before heading back to the Garden Route side of the Outeniqua mountains for the final leg of the trip.


South Africa Cycling Tour Overview

Part 1 - George to Rooiberg Lodge

Part 2 - Rooiberg to Prince Albert

Part 4 - The Garden Route

Cycle Touring Guides