Breede River Valley

The Breede River Valley is incomparable in beauty and wonder. Nestled in the Western Cape of South Africa, its picturesque fruit orchards and vineyards please the palate in addition to the eyes. The area is primarily made up of farming communities with small, quaint towns who feature mouth-watering home-style restaurants and welcoming bed and breakfasts. The towns of Montagu, Tulbagh, Bonnievale, Ashton, McGregor, and Robertson are similar in stature and style but each has its own specific charm that is unparalleled by the others. The Breede River Valley is a beautiful place to travel in part due to the communities that you can meet and explore in its bosom.
It’s an area of simplicity, restoration, and relaxation.

The area produces nearly a fifth of South Africa’s wine and the wine tour that winds through it draws visitors from around the world. The wine is abundant here thanks to the warm weather and plentiful rainfall that spreads across the wide, flat valley. There is a balanced mix of snow on the mountains and rain the winter that is then contrasted by warm sunshine throughout a long summer. As the Mediterranean-type climate and terrain meets the mountains on its edges a fertile area is nurtured.

Most of the visitors who come to the Breede River Valley live full-time in Cape Town and escape to this beautiful area for weekend get-aways and short, relaxing stays.
It’s only an hour away from the city and is easily accessible with routes connecting the city and valley.
Breede River Valley-Video
 

Route 62

Cape Route 62 serves as a tourist route and stretches across the Western and Eastern Capes of South Africa. Visitors can travel from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and enjoy the scenery and directness of the route while driving.

Not only are the roads well-maintained and monitored but you also have access to nearly all of the little towns throughout the valley. They’re easily accessible from the main route so that tourists can discover all that the valley has to offer without straying too far from the route.

Most often known for the connections to vineyards and deemed a wine route, Route 62 also is the perfect path for tourists who are interested in connecting with nature through hikes, horse riding, canoeing, mountain climbing, fishing, and exploring caves as there is an abundance of locations for nature enthusiasts to explore and discover.
Additionally, many towns host museums and cultural tours so that families can get to know some of the historical and cultural significance of the area.

Some say that Route 62 hails to the American Route 66 that connected Los Angeles and Chicago and made the country more accessible with access to hidden American gems. The scenic route in South Africa connects Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and has had much of the same effect on this continent as in the states.
The completion of the N2 highway hit the local villages along Route 62 in the same way that the National Highway cut off travel on Route 66. The story has repeated itself here as well but unlike the American equivalent the villages on Route 62 have not disappeared. The wealth of the wine communities along its path have allowed them to sustain their presence and they continue to be vibrant, living communities.
Though visitors are less common after the implementation of N2, those who do find their way into these charming communities are warmly welcomed.
The locals take great pride in their crafts, communities, and region and are more than happy to accommodate Route 62 visitors who find their small communities.
Route 62-Video