Technically, this scenic road—known for its beautiful wildflowers, forests and mountainous coastline—runs along the coast from Mossel Bay to the Storms River. However, we find the entire drive from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth to be spectacular. It takes three days to drive, but five days or longer would be much better so you can stop and enjoy the sights.
Begin in Cape Town and overnight at Mossel Bay, where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488, after he had completed the first recorded rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. Mossel Bay, despite being a rather unappealing town, has the famous Post Office Tree, where sailors left letters hanging in a boot to be picked up by those headed toward the country of the addressee. The second day, drive to Oudtshoorn, overnight there and tour it in the morning, then drive to George for the next overnight. While in George, see the town museum.
The next day, stop at Wilderness National Park on your way to the quaint and artsy town of Knysna. Stop in at some of the craft shops and galleries, then spend at least an hour exploring in one of the nearby state forests. Plan to overnight in Plettenberg Bay. At the turn of the 20th century, timber firms desecrated the area's luxuriant forests of indigenous hardwoods. Only a few areas remain untouched.
The following day, stop at Tsitsikamma National Park for its nature trails, giant trees and caves. Along the route are several hiking paths that require from one to seven days. There's good diving, snorkeling and fishing in the area, as well as seal colonies along the coast. Although it's not an attractive town, Jeffrey's Bay has one of the world's best surfing beaches—it was one of the locations for the '60s surf-film classic Endless Summer. If time permits, visit Robberg Nature Reserve (great bird-watching and a small seal colony) and Goukamma Nature Reserve (beautiful landscape).
