Chapman's Peak Drive
Considered one of the world’s best marine drives, this 9-km (5½-mile) stretch of road (take note that this is a toll road) winding between Hout Bay and Noordhoek is carved from the rock along a treacherous cliff-edge coastline. Its 114 bends and curves skirt the 593-meter-high (1,945-foot-high) southerly extension of Constantiaberg, affording exhilarating views and making it a sought-after location for international car commercials. Begun in 1910 and built during the First World War, it took a crew of 700 convicts to chip and blast the road out of the rock. It officially opened in 1922 with views rivaling those of California's Pacific Route 1. About one-third of the road passes below exhilaratingly steep cliffs with loose rocks and dodgy-looking boulders as much as 280 meters (919 feet) overhead.
You can access the drive from either Hout Bay or Noordhoek, with the tollgate installed nearest the Hout Bay end. Take it slow and try to take it all in as you carefully navigate those curves. There are places to pull over and stare out to sea or to park while you hike up the fynbos-covered mountains. Beware of any wind when you stand on the edge and note that rockslides and unstable cliff faces mean this entire drive can occasionally be closed for maintenance, or during severe weather and wind events. Another thing to watch out for is the hordes of cyclists who traverse the route and seldom adhere to the single-file rule.
