CPT · South Africa
Chapmans Peak is forty minutes away, Franschhoek an hour, and the Swartberg and the Karoo passes are within a very good day.
Great roads in range
4
First road from the terminal
Chapman's Peak Drive, about 30 min
Best months
October to April
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 5 May 2026
Ranked
01 · Cape Peninsula
A toll corniche blasted into a sea cliff with 114 curves above the Atlantic.
About 30 min from the airport · 5.6 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Closed after rockfall or heavy rain
02 · Western Cape
Wine valley hairpins climb to a viewpoint over the whole Franschhoek bowl.
About 1 hr from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10
03 · Western Cape
An old mountain shelf road along a boulder river, narrow and beautifully engineered.
About 1 hr 6 min from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
04 · Karoo
A hand built dry stone gravel pass twisting through folded red rock strata.
About 6 hr 49 min from the airport · 14.9 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10
Gravel, closed after snow or heavy rain
Practical
Cheap by European standards. Confirm gravel road cover if you plan to drive the Swartberg.
October to April. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.