Tankwa and Coastal Tour
Our most popular tour, and the one we recommend for first timers
Day 2
Enfield Bike Tours Tankwa & Coastal Tour – Day 2 is the start of the tour proper. Having spent a day cruising around the Peninsula, familiarising yourselves with the bikes, today we head off towards the Karoo.
We’ll leave the hotel along the west coast road towards Melkbos from where we will head inland and through the farmlands of Philadelphia until we arrive in Wellington where we will stop for refreshments.
As we leave Wellington we will climb the Bain’s Kloof Pass towards Ceres. This is a wonderful and scenic pass that climbs steeply, followed by a long and leisurely winding decent. Just before arriving at Ceres, we will ride the fast and winding Michells Pass. From Ceres onwards we will be on dirt roads as we head towards the Tankwa Karoo.
We will enjoy lunch and perhaps a refreshing beer at the Tankwa Karoo road stall, a remote location that will be a very welcoming sight, particularly if the typical Karoo heat joins us.
After lunch we will head eastwards towards our destination for the evening, and will pass through the flat open plains. We may also encounter some sections of sand to keep us on our toes!
We will end the day climbing the Gannaga Pass and will be staying at the Gannaga Lodge that evening. This pass is often challenging in certain conditions, but will provide and enjoyable ride with stunning views over the Karoo. The perfect place for a photo opportunity.
If you are into stargazing, you could be in for an absolute treat at Gannaga Lodge. With virtually no light pollution here, on a clear night you will be dazzled by the night sky!
You will undoubtedly enjoy a well earned dinner, probably a few beers or a bottle of wine as you sit outside and enjoy the sky whilst enthusing about the day’s ride.
Day 3
Enfield Bike Tours Tankwa & Coastal Tour – Day 3 begins with a hearty breakfast before jumping on the Royal Enfields that have been washed and re-fuelled overnight.
We will head back down the Ganagga Pass which will be no less rewarding than the climb up the previous evening. We’ll travel through the Tankwa Karoo National Park then head eastwards towards Sutherland in the Northern Cape.
But first we have to climb the Ouberg Pass, a gravel road pass much revered by adventure travellers. It is an impressive pass with an altitude gain of 820 meters over 10,4 km. The steepest parts are at a gradient 1:5 – which is very steep!
It traverses a ridge of the Roggeveld Mountains north-west of the Verlatenkloof Pass and summits at 1401m on the upper Karoo plateau. From there it’s a 40 km drive into Sutherland where we will stop for lunch.
After lunch there will be more cruising on dirt roads before we finally hit the tar for the final blast down to the quirky old colonial town of Matjiesfontein where we retire for the evening.
The day is not over yet however, as after a refreshing beer at the pub in the Lord Milner hotel, we’ll take the free bus tour of the town. This is no ordinary tour however, as it will be on an old London double decker bus! This will be followed by piano and song by the tour guide.
We will enjoy a superb dinner and a top bottle of wine in the superb Dining Room. Be sure to have the Karoo Lamb, it’s as local as it gets!
Day 4
Enfield Bike Tours Tankwa & Coastal Tour – Day 4 is a beast of a day. A day of beautiful and stunning passes. A relaxing breakfast may feel like the calm before the storm for some! This will be a long and tiring day.
We’ll head out of Matjiesfontein for a short blast along the N1 before turning off at Laingsburg in the direction of Calitzdorp. This road is a joy to ride and passes through the most amazing scenery until reaching the Seweweeks Poort Pass which is probably the most beautiful 17 km stretch of gravel road anywhere in South Africa.
With easy gradients, river crossings, and mind-boggling geology, this road is an absolute pleasure to ride as it twists and turns following the contorted bends of the river. Be sure to drink water from the waterfalls beside the road, where you can also expect to find crabs living there. This area is a certified Unesco World Heritage Site.
On the to Calitzdorp, known as the “Port Capital” of South Africa, where some might choose to spend the afternoon lazying around the pool at the hotel or perhaps visiting some of the seven cellars famous for their port wines.
Those more adventurous and experienced riders will be able to ride to the top of the Swartberg Pass, a pass with stunning views both on the way up and from the peak. Then they will no doubt want to tackle the legendary road to Gamkaskloof, better known as the road to “Die Hel” (road to Hell). It winds through 37km of rugged mountain scenery, culminating in the vertigo-rush, single-width Elands Pass.
We will descend to the foot of the valley where we will stop to enjoy our packed lunch and a coffee. For many, this road will be the highlight of the tour.
It will takes perhaps an hour or two to return to our hotel in Calitzdorp where we will shower and change before heading into town for a great steak. There will be endless discussions about today’s ride over several beers tonight!
Day 5
Enfield Bike Tours Tankwa & Coastal Tour – Day 5 sees us heading south towards the coast on the return leg towards Cape Town.
After a leisurely breakfast we’ll find the road from Calitzdorp passes a number of Ostrich farms where hundreds of the interesting creatures live. The road is fairly flat but with stunning views of the distant mountains.
They do not remain distant for long however, as we approach the Rooiberg Mountain which is part of the Rooiberg Nature Reserve. The Rooiberg Pass at 18km long is a long and winding pass with some challenging technical sections, including a number of tight hairpin bends.
Upon reaching the summit, the views of the valley and the distant Tygerberg Nature reserve are stunning.
We’ll pass Van Wyksdorp in the direction of the Langeberg mountains then heading south towards Riversdale, before which we will encounter Muiskraal Pass. After this we’ll head west towards Heidelberg where we will stop for lunch.
From Heidelberg we’ll take a gentle cruise towards the coast before we reach the Breede river at Malgas. Here we’ll take the hand pulled pont, the last of it’s kind in South Africa, across the river. We may then be forced to stop for refreshments at the Bush Pub!
The road from there to Bredasdorp is long and flat as we pass through farmlands. From Bredasdorp it’s only half an hour’s ride to Arniston where our thirst will be quenched at the Arniston Hotel overlooking the ocean.
We will arrive early enough to walk through the quaint fishing village and well as visit the famous Arniston cave. Freshly caught fish will definitely be on the menu tonight along with a good bottle of wine!
Day 6
Enfield Bike Tours Tankwa & Coastal Tour – Day 6 sees us heading west along the coast towards Cape Town.
Our first stop will be at Cape Aghulas, the southern most point of Africa. An excellent photo opportunity and for the brave, you can jump off the bottom of Africa!
We will travel on dirt until we reach Elim, a former Moravian mission station, after which it will be tar roads all the way back to Cape Town. We reach the coast again at Gansbaai, head inland to Stanford, then back along the coast the Hermanus. This town, known as the whale watching capital of South Africa, is where we will stop for an early lunch.
We will be hugging the coast as we pass through Kleinmod, Betty’s Bay and the stunning ride from Rooiels through to Gordon’s Bay, at times only meters from the ocean.
Turning away from Cape Town we head up Sir Lowry’s Pass towards Grabouw. We will enjoy and scenic and relaxing ride towards Villiersdorp before to towards Franschhoek. Our final pass of the tour is the stunning Franschhoek pass, before descending into the beautiful town itself. No doubt a cup of coffee or a beer awaits us here!
From there we ride through the winelands winding our way back to the hotel in time for sundowners. After a shower and freshen up, we will me for our trip debrief and farewell dinner.
