Chapman’s Peak …Take a drive along this award winning road that cuts into the Mountain.

Chapman’s Peak was constructed between 1915 and 1922, and became one of the biggest engineering projects that Cape Town had ever seen. In order to create the ‘Chapman’s Peak Drive’ builders and engineers had to ‘hack’ out the path from the mountain range! Chapman’s peak is approximately 9km long with around about 114 curves. This road is also 593 metres high above sea level… Along the road there are picnic areas, hiking routes, pathways for walking and whale watching spots.

Chapman’s Peak extends from Hout Bay all the way to Noordhoek on a long and windy drive… This part of the mountain falls on the western side of the Cape Peninsula and ‘flanks’ out steeply and sharply for hundreds of metres below. On the North-Western side of this mountain there is even old and abandoned manganese mine.

The top of Chapman’s Peak consists of flat sedimentary rock – very similar to the sedimentary rock that is found on Table Mountain – and the base of this mountain is made from Cape Granite. According to scientists this is a geological unconformity and thus makes this mountain a great research project for those interested in geology.

Chapman’s Peak drive was closed in the 1990’s as there were a few rock falls that unfortunately caused some fatalities. The road was then re-engineered to protect the cars and passengers from any damaging rock falls – and to ensure the safety of anyone on the Chapman’s Peak Drive. A fee is now charged when you enter Chapman’s Peak drive – these fees/charges are used for the maintenance of the roads and the protection of the surrounding areas and mountain areas.

Chapman’s peak is also part of the route that cyclists take on the ‘Cape Argus’ cycle tour – this bicycle race attracts tourists to Cape Town yearly. Chapman’s Peak drive has even won international acclaim as one of the most innovative road engineering projects in 2004…. Many tourists and locals (from Cape Town) take a drive along Chapman’s’ Peak Drive – the views are amazing and the sights are breathtaking.