Under Kasteelberg, an hour north of Cape Town, the twin villages of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West sit in olive and wine country ringed by the wheat fields of the Swartland — and by some of the most rideable gravel in the Western Cape.
Roll out of Riebeek Kasteel in any direction and you are on farm gravel within minutes: the Bothmaskloof road over the shoulder of the mountain, long rolling lines through wheat that turns green in winter and gold in summer, and quiet tar links to Malmesbury, Hermon and the Berg River when you want to stitch a bigger day. Gradients are honest rather than savage, which makes the valley perfect for riders new to gravel and for long training blocks alike.
Riebeek Kasteel does the after-ride better than almost anywhere: olive tastings, long lunches on the hotel veranda, a square built for doing very little. It is the Swartland formula — big skies, small villages, food that punches far above the map dot.
We build custom Swartland gravel days and weekends from Cape Town, fully supported, on our Specialized gravel fleet or your own bike.