City Ride
⇔ Up to 69km
+ 1,192m (elevation)
≡ Tar & Paved
OVERVIEW, MAP & GPS
This has to be one of Cape Town’s most scenic road rides and a popular route among the city’s road cyclists and tourists alike! It is definitely on a cyclists must do list especially for the stunning vistas of ocean and mountain, lazy winding roads and challenging climbs.
The route can be cycled in either direction (or both) and follows the Atlantic Seaboard from Cape Town’s CBD, via Sea Point and Camps Bay to Hout Bay. Here you have the option of cycling the majestic Chapmans Peak and heading down into Noordhoek where you will find great restaurants to refuel with delicious farm fresh food and coffee.
ROUTE HIGHLIGHTS
BREE STREET & WATERKANT BIKE FRIENDLY PRECINCT
The route starts in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD where it picks up Bree Streets green cycle lane. About midway down, the Bree Street cycle lane intersects with the Waterkant Street bike friendly precinct.. This area has become a hub for bike friendly cafes, bike rental companies and businesses (see the map) – making it the perfect meeting place to start your ride. From here the paved cycleway continues along Waterkant Street, crossing over Buitengracht Street via a dedicated bicycle crossing.
GREENPOINT TO SEA POINT
From here the route runs though Prestwich Memorial, where it joining Sommerset road at the intersection of Chiappini Street. After a few 100m at the interesection of Ebenezer Road (next to the Traffic Department) you will need to cross over Sommerset Road to join the paved cycleway that runs on the right hand side of the road. If the traffic is particularly heavy and you can move easily across the lanes, then you can pull off and cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.
From here the traffic-free cycleway runs through Greenpoint (along the Fan Walk) to Seapoint. At the Seapoint Library, turn right and join the cycleway that runs the down Three Anchor bay Road, crossing over Beach Road. Here you join onto the traffic-free tarred cycleway that runs along Beach Road, parallel to the Sea Point Promenade. Just after the Up Cycles bicycle Rental station at the Seapoint Pavilion the route joins Beach Road can continues on to Camps Bay via Bantry Bay and Clifton.
CAMPS BAY – BAKOVEN – OUDEKRAAL
The section through Clifton and Bantry Bay can be tricky, with narrow roads and parked cars – so stay alert. The road opens up as you enter Camps Bay. This popular coastal destination is filled with great cafes and beautiful beaches to stop off and explore. After Bakoven the road has a large shoulder with plenty of spots to stop off and enjoy the spectacular views of mountains, sea and city (although being on the seaside of the road, they are easier to access on the return trip). Just past the famous Twelve Apostles hotel, the route starts climbing. Look out for seals and whales which can be spotted off the coast especially during Spring. If you you are taking a scenic ride, it is worth stopping off at one of the city’s hidden gems, the Oudekraal Beach. This marine reserve is part of the Table Mountain National Park area, and has a beautiful little beach and quiet cove for an icy dip. You can park you bicycle at the entrance car park (lock it to the railings) and walk down to the beach.
OUDEKRAAL – LLANDUDNO – HOUT BAY
From Oudekraal, route follows Victoria Drive, passing Llandudno and a collection of some of the Peninsula’s most secluded and pristine beaches.After a steep climb up the back of Suikerbossie hill, it’s all downhill cruising into the village of Hout Bay. A popular destination for cyclists out on training rides, Hout Bay has numerous bike friendly cafes – well worth visiting. On the weekends the bike-friendly Bay Harbour Market makes a great stop over for entertainment, shopping and dining.
CHAPMANS PEAK DRIVE
Leaving Hout Bay village the route follows the iconic Chapmans Peak Drive that winds through a beautiful nature reserve. While it is a challenging climb the view from the top is really worth it and nothing beats being immersed in nature as you cycle along the road.
NOORDHOEK
From the top of Chappies, its a scenic free wheel all the way down into Noordhoek where you can stop off at the Noordhoek Farm Village for a leisurely coffee or lunch at the Village Roast or Cafe Roux before cycling back. The return tip is definitely worth doing as you will be cycling along the seaside edge of the road which opens up even more visitas. If you are only planning to cycle the route once then that is the direction that we recommend ( Noordhoek to the CBD).
RETURN TRIP VIA SEA POINT PROMENADE & GREENPOINT URBAN PARK
The return trip follows much the same route back. Once you reach Sea Point, you have the option of taking the same route back or following a slightly more meandering route along the Sea Point promenade and through Green Point Urban Park.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Bree Street & Waterkant Street bike friendly precinct
- Seapoint Promenade
- Bakoven and Camps Bay cafes and beach
- Oudekraal Beach
- Hout Bay cafes, beach and working harbor
- Chapmans Peak Drive – iconic climb through breath taking scenery
- Noodhoek Farm Village – cafes and crafts
MUST KNOW
- Cycling direction: This route can be cycled in either direction and can be started or finished at any point along the way depending on your fitness level.
- Bus it: There is also the option of taking the bus to or from the start of finish. Bikes are allowed on the MyCiti bus free of charge but you need a Myconnect card to use the service and it is best to avoid peak times when the bus is full and bike can’t fit inside.
- Bike shops: The closest bike shop is Complete Cyclist in Hout Bay. They also do bike rentals. If you cycle the route the other way, then there are plenty of bike shops in the city centre and you can rent a bike from UpCycles.
- Safety & Security: The route is well used by local cyclists. Most of the route follows a coastal road that has a wide shoulder with the section through Sea Point and Green Point following a traffic-free cycleway and shared path. As most of the route is shared with vehicles, please stay alert especially on Chapman’s Peak Drive and sections where the road shoulder is narrower or missing (e.g. the section between Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point).
Terms of Use: As with each route guide published on BICYCLESOUTH.co.za, should you choose to cycle this route, do so at your own risk. Prior to setting out check current local weather and road conditions. Always ride responsibly. The information found herein is simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. In spite of the fact that this route, associated GPS track (GPX and maps), and all route guidelines were prepared under diligent research by the specified contributor and/or contributors, the accuracy of such and judgement of the author is not guaranteed. Bicycle South, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individual riders cycling or following this route.
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