Explore By Car

There are some amazing day drives to be had from De Rust. Make De Rust your base and explore.

Here are some day drives from De Rust – please click on More Options for Directions and the option to send to your phone.

Small Circle - 162km

Travel from De Rust to Klaarstroom – stop at the Klaarstroom Hotel.  Continue to Prince Albert.  Once you’ve experienced some of the sights of Prince Albert go back towards Klaarstroom but take the Swartberg Pass (gravel) to Oudtshoorn.  Once back on the tar road you can continue to Oudtshoorn or you can take the magnificent Oudemuragie Road (gravel) back to De Rust.

Beaches - 256km

Have a beach day – travel to Herold’s Bay via George Airport. Take your own refreshments with you.  If you would like to see more beach, drive to the Wilderness – the beach goes on for miles.  There are some super restaurants in Wilderness.

Willowmore, Herold Wines - 315km

Travel into the Groot Karoo to Willowmore where you will find shops and restaurants.  From there to the quaint town of Uniondale boasting a hotel and some antique shops.  From Uniondale take the circle route home, first stopping at Herold Wines for a tasting.  You can return to De Rust via Oudtshoorn on a good tar road or take the gravel road to Dysselsdorp (about 30km) and then onto the tar road back to De Rust.

Calitzdorp Winetasting - 213km

The R62 wine route is the longest wine route in the Western Cape; from Wellington to the Klein Karoo.

Calitzdorp is famous for its production of wines made in the Portuguese style.

Drive to Calitzdorp via Oudtshoorn and return on a gravel road which runs alongside the Swartberg.  When you reach the tar road you can return via Oudtshoorn on tar or turn left onto the Oudemuragie Road (gravel).

Uniondale - Kammanassie - 183km

Travel from De Rust to Uniondale.  From Uniondale travel to George and turn right onto the Kammanassie Road which hugs the Kammanassie Mountains. to Dysseldorp.  From there take the tar road back to De Rust.

Two Passes - 239km

Travel to George via the Montague Pass (gravel) and then to Klein Brak Rivier.  Once in Klein Brak, look for the signs to Botlierskop Nature Reserve (you might want to have lunch there) and travel the gravel road to the R328, which will then take you up the Robertson Pass back to Oudtshoorn back to De Rust.

Big Circle - 409km

This circular route takes you through the spectacular Sewe Weeks Poort (gravel), onto Laingsburg on the N1 , returning via Prince Albert and through Meiringspoort.