Chapman's Peak Drive

Chapman's Peak Drive runs about nine kilometres between Hout Bay and Noordhoek along a cliff that drops straight into the Atlantic, with 114 curves and a road bed carved into the junction between two rock layers - the softer Cape Granite below and the Table Mountain Sandstone above, which is exactly why the route was possible and also why it keeps failing. It was cut between 1915 and 1922, and the geology has produced rockfalls ever since; after a fatal rockfall the road was closed for years and reopened in 2005 as a toll road, with catch fences, half-tunnels and an active monitoring system. It closes in heavy rain and high wind, sometimes at short notice. Viewpoints along the way look back at Hout Bay and down at the Noordhoek beach, and the Two Oceans Marathon and Cape Town Cycle Tour both run it.

History

The mountain is named after John Chapman, pilot of an English ship becalmed in Hout Bay in 1607, who was sent ashore for provisions, and the name was first recorded as Chapman's Chaunce. The road was cut out of the mountain face between 1915 and 1922 and reopened as a toll road in 2005 (Wikipedia, Chapman's Peak).

Highlights

• The geological junction - a road cut along the line between granite and sandstone.
• The 114 bends - nine kilometres of curves with the ocean directly below.
• The rockfall engineering - catch fences and half-tunnels added before the 2005 reopening.
• The viewpoints - Hout Bay behind, Noordhoek beach ahead.

When to go

All year, but check the status before setting off. One hour with stops.

Practical notes

The road closes without much warning in wind, rain or rockfall risk - check before driving. There is a toll each way. Viewpoint parking is small and fills up. Cyclists and race events close it entirely some weekends.

Nearby

Hout Bay harbour is at one end; Noordhoek beach at the other.

Key facts