Helshoogte and the Banhoek loop
Half a day, roughly 68 km, two climbs and one descent that eats brake pads if you treat it casually. This is the route we send people on first, because it teaches a car's manners in under three hours.
Route guides
Routes
Every route guide we have written, in the order we would hand them to somebody new to driving the Winelands. Start with Helshoogte, finish with the gravel.
Franschhoek Pass when the cloud sits low
The R45 above Franschhoek climbs about nine kilometres to a summit near 700 metres. In a south-easter the top can be in cloud while the village below sits in sunshine, and that gap catches good drivers out several times a season.
Harvest traffic on the R44
For roughly ten weeks from late summer, the R44 between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts stops being a quick link and becomes a working farm road. Knowing that changes how you plan every northbound day.
Bainskloof to Ceres and back
About 270 km door to door, seven hours with stops, and two very different passes. This is the day that tells you whether your car and your back are suited to long Cape touring.
Gravel to the Cederberg
Three hours of tar from Stellenbosch, then gravel that ranges from smooth and fast to washboard that will loosen a number plate. Most of the trouble on this run is decided before you leave the house.
A concours weekend on a wine estate
Lawn displays on an estate are a pleasant way to look closely at expensive cars without a salesperson at your elbow. They are also two hours of driving, a field for a car park and a long walk, and all three deserve planning.