Founder's fav's · South Africa and Lesotho
Sutherland
The coldest town in the country, under the clearest sky you'll ever see.
Sutherland is a small Karoo town famous for two things: being freezing and having the Southern African Large Telescope on the hill. The air is so clear and dark at night that you'll see more stars than you knew existed.
I've ridden through it in winter and couldn't feel my fingers for an hour. I'd still go back tomorrow.
Plan a trip hereOpens the planner with Sutherland as your finish. Set where you start and how many days, and it works out the route, fuel, night stops and weather.
Get there
- Flights to Cape Town ›Compare fares into CPT
- Hire a car ›Pick up at Cape Town airport
- Places to stay nearby ›Within about 40 km
Some of these links pay OneTrackMind a small fee if you book, at no cost to you. It's what keeps the planner free.
Good to know
- Book a night tour at SALT or one of the private stargazing farms.
- In winter the roads can ice up. Ride or drive in the middle of the day.
- The gravel roads from Sutherland to Calvinia and the Tankwa are superb.
The trip it's from
Places change. Check opening times and conditions before you go.