Where To Ride: Garden Route
A selection of the best riding from the Eden District.
The Eden District, now officially called the Garden Route District Municipality, is situated along the southern coast of South Africa’s Western Cape. It stretches from the area around Mossel Bay in the west, through George, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, to the Eastern Cape border in the east. Inland, it extends north towards the Langeberg and Swartberg mountains.
Knysna is right in the heart of the Garden Route, and the district’s main towns and attractions are relatively close together. Knysna is approximately 60 km east of George and about 35 km west of Plettenberg Bay by road.
The Garden Route is known for its mild, temperate climate. Summers are generally warm, with daytime temperatures commonly around 20–25°C, while winters are cool and relatively mild, with daytime temperatures often around 15–20°C. Rain can occur throughout the year, rather than being concentrated in a single rainy season. The combination of rainfall, sunshine and moderate temperatures creates the area’s lush forests, green hills and coastal vegetation. Perfect for riding! Here’s some recommendations on riding in the area.
Ride the Icon
The 24km Red Route in Harkerville is an iconic piece of trail. It’s been upgraded over the years with better wooden bridges and cement strips on certain steep slopes, but the route hasn’t changed at all. There are four colour-coded routes, ranging from 12 to 24km, that cater for all skill and fitness levels, but the challenging 24km loop is the mainstay. It features forest singletrack, forestry roads and open fynbos trails.
Expect hardpack (in Summer) through the fynbos and rooty sections in the forest and plantations. The fynbos pockets are as much a defining feature of the trail as the forest and sea cliffs. The climbs are short and steep with the biggest burn coming back up from the coast. A few of the descents can become washed out and technical but it all adds to the fun. The Harkerville trailhead is on the N2 freeway 20km outside of headed in the direction of Plettenberg Bay opposite the Garden of Eden kiosk.
Gravel Loops
There are a number of iconic passes around George, the Seven Passes Route and in Oudtshoorn. For the Swartberg Pass, take the R328 north out of Oudtshoorn past the Cango Caves and on toward Prince Albert. The Swartberg Pass features 27 steep, switch-backed kilometres and is a true lung buster. Take it slow on the way back down and stop often to breathe in the gnarled living geomorphology class that is the Cape fold mountains.
Also, near Mossel Bay, there are various dirt loops on offer. Most popular are those that start and end at Eight Bells Mountain Inn where old-school coffee and scones post-ride are a must. Towards Botlierskop, keep left via ‘Big Dipper’ and cruise through the farmlands along the Moordkuil’s river route to the private nature reserve. Cruise back over Donald’s Heights, Leeukloof Loop and then (if you’re on a mountain bike) hit the hotel’s Rooster Trails.
Seven Passes
The Seven Passes Route will see you cross seven rivers (including the Swart, Hoogekraal, Homtini, and Kaaimans) and pass through places with ‘what-the-hell-happens-there’ names such as Karatara as you traverse the foothills between George and Knysna. It’s a classic!
Also, take on the 106km, 1 200m of climbing scenic road roll from Plettenberg Bay. This is a 4 – 5 hour ride depending on your fitness level. It features two passes (from Plett out to Coldstream, via the old passes through Nature’s Valley) and then Bloukrans. The ride offers good climbs, great views, smooth tarmac, wide, safe shoulders and four possible ways of riding the climbs. It’s a must-do training ride for any roadie in the area. If 100km is a bit out of your reach, try hitting the classic ‘Plett to tollgate and back’ for 60-odd kays of safe, rolling roads. //