Driving the paved N2 National Road in the Western Cape through Sir Lowry's Pass
South Africa, africa
2,255 km
460 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Sir Lowry's Pass in South Africa's Western Cape is calling your name. Picture this: you're cruising south of Cape Town, weaving between Somerset West and the lush Elgin Valley, and suddenly you're climbing to 460 meters (1,509 feet) above sea level.
This beauty's got history! Originally used by the Khoi people, then later by settlers with ox-wagons (who probably weren't having a great time, let's be honest!). Thankfully, in the 1830s, they paved it, and since then, it's had a few upgrades (widening projects, railway lines, the works!).
Today, you'll find it fully paved as part of the N2, which is a whopper of a road at 2,255 kilometres (1,401 mi) long!
The road itself? Four lanes wide with some seriously steep sections in the Hottentots Holland Mountains. Heads up: it gets busy, especially around holidays, so drive carefully!
But trust me, the views are worth it. At the summit, there's a viewpoint with views that'll blow your mind, and you might even spot some paragliders taking off! If you're feeling active, hike the old ox-wagon trail – it's a pretty easy 3.6km round trip.
Where is it?
Driving the paved N2 National Road in the Western Cape through Sir Lowry's Pass is located in South Africa (africa). Coordinates: -31.7401, 21.2961
Road Details
- Country
- South Africa
- Continent
- africa
- Length
- 2,255 km
- Max Elevation
- 460 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- -31.7401, 21.2961
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