Circling the Cape Peninsula is one of those rides that cyclists dream of, like following in the wheels of Tour de France riders up the Alpe d’Huez. Yet the morning of our last day on the road, we wake to a southwesterly gale so fierce that I consider leaving the bikes in the rack. It’s the precursor to the big storm that was forecast, which mercifully looks like it won’t strike till late afternoon. Still, by the time Bennett deposits us at Simon’s Town, on the eastern side of the peninsula, water is lifting off the ocean in diaphanous sheets, and gulls are knocking around the sky like dry leaves in the wind.
“We call these winds the Cape Doctor. They clear the miff air from the city,” Bennett tells me. I tell him I’d rather ride in a closed garage with the car running than in this wind. “People have literally been blown from the highway,” he concedes. I scowl. But there’s no way I’m skipping this ride.
Heading south out of Simon’s Town, the wind smashes into me. I stomp on the pedals, yet I’m moving so slowly that it feels like I’m towing a crate of wine. Rather than worry over it, I focus on the passing scenery. Quaint pastel houses balance on the steep headlands. Red and blue fishing boats crowd into the marinas where fishermen heft nets full of kingklip and bluenose. The few trees that have managed to cling to this rugged, granitic bluff are stooped and stretched sidewise from the constant meteorological beating. I imagine that’s how I look, too.
“It’s not the easiest to cycle in South Africa,” Bennett said over dinner at Delaire the previous evening. For most people it’s a long journey to get here, and there’s maybe not as much information or support as a visiting rider might be used to back home, he explained. “But the riding … just try and find a place that has better riding.”
Once I round the Cape and turn north, the wind shifts to my back. The bike accelerates from seven kilometers an hour to 60 like a missile. I fire past rocky promontories and through fields of fynbos, then hurtle close enough to empty beaches that I can feel the icy spray from the Atlantic. Cape Town is less than an hour away, as are the Constantia wineries on the eastern flank of Table Mountain. But for now, I just want to race with the wind.
The Details
Getting There
Cape Town is not just the jumping-off point for tours of the Cape Winelands, it’s a destination in its own right, so plan your itinerary accordingly. South African Airways flies there nonstop from Dubai and via Johannesburg from Hong Kong; Singapore Airlines also stops in Johannesburg on its daily Cape Town service.
When To Go
The Western Cape’s climate is pleasant year-round, with daytime temperatures ranging from highs of 17 °C in July to 27°C in February. Rain can be heavy, though not especially persistent, in June through August, while the summer months are glorious and sunny but often windy.
Touring
Steve Thomas of Daytrippers (27-21/ 511-4766) can help plan out whatever bike tour you have in mind and provide every level of support, from nothing more than an itinerary and maps to a fully catered experience including pickup at the airport, a support vehicle, and accommodation. Thomas and his wife Di have ridden and raced all over South Africa, and can recommend everything from the best passes and trails to ride, to where to sample the region’s choicest wines.
Where to Stay
You’ll be spoiled for choice in the Winelands, which has more hotels and inns than vineyards. In the charming and less-frequented Breede Valley, the 16 newly opened self-catering cottages on the grounds of Saronsberg (27-23/230-0707; doubles from US$60), make for a great escape, while the winery’s modern, industrial sensibility offers an intriguing counterpoint to the quaint town of Tulbagh.
Farther south in the hills outside Wellington, Grand Dédale (27-21/873-4089; doubles from US$258) occupies a historic Cape Dutch manor house on the grounds of the Doolhof wine estate, with six lavish, antiques-filled rooms. There’s also a thatched-roof stone cottage and, right down the hill, the Doolhof winery, where guest can indulge in private tastings and cellar tours. Ringed by a jag of thorny mountains that tumble down to vineyards, Fransch-hoek may well be the prettiest town in the Winelands, and the place to stay is Avondrood (27-21/876-2881; 39 Huguenot St.; doubles from US$155). Set in a restored 1870s Victorian home, this four-star bed-and- breakfast has just a half-dozen pretty rooms and friendly service to match the town. In nearby Stellenbosch, Delaire Graff Estate (R310, Helshoogte; 27-21/885-8160; doubles from US$726) is a fabulously located vineyard with above-the-fog views down over town and a 10-suite lodge with impeccably appointed guest quarters, all with sitting rooms, quiet verandas, and private plunge pools.
And on a vineyard on the eastern flanks of Table Mountain, just around the peak from Cape Town, Lanzerac Hotel & Spa (27-21/ 887-1132; doubles from US$253) has 48 rooms that open onto lush gardens, a well-stocked whiskey bar, and one of the hottest tables around, the alfresco Terrace Restaurant. –AG
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2014 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Southern Exposure”).
