
What are the highest roads in South Africa?
South Africa, africa
N/A
N/A
hard
Year-round
# South Africa's Mountain Passes: A Driver's Dream
South Africa is seriously one of the most geographically stunning countries you'll ever drive through. The landscape is basically split between a massive, elevated inland plateau and a coastline that drops dramatically down via the Great Escarpment. It's geology at its most dramatic – and it makes for some incredible driving.
The crown jewel? The Drakensberg Mountains. These ancient, breathtaking peaks sit right at the edge of that escarpment, creating some of the most visually stunning mountainous terrain anywhere on the continent.
All this crazy geography has spawned an amazing network of high mountain passes that'll get your adrenaline pumping. These routes tackle some serious elevation and steep grades as they cross the escarpment face, giving you the kind of challenging driving that comes with absolutely mind-blowing views. If you're driving here during the Southern Hemisphere winter, you might even catch snow on these passes – which is pretty surreal given where you are on the map.
Ready to explore some of the world's most spectacular roads? Grab your map and start planning. Whether you're after heart-pounding curves or jaw-dropping vistas, South Africa's mountain passes deliver both in spades.
Where is it?
What are the highest roads in South Africa? is located in South Africa (africa). Coordinates: -30.9168, 22.5000
Road Details
- Country
- South Africa
- Continent
- africa
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -30.9168, 22.5000
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