If you’re looking to film a road scene, then you’ll be spoiled for choice in Cape Town with a variety of roads that serve as perfect locations for shoots. From winding passes, with dramatic drops and ocean views, to mountainous dirt tracks, urban roads, and city streets, Cape Town has it all.
The most well-known road in the Mother City is no doubt Chapman’s Peak Drive. This 9km route runs from Hout Bay to Noordhoek along the Atlantic coast and boasts breath-taking views mountain and ocean views. The road has an impressive 114 curves, with sheer drops along the one side and steep rocky walls on the other. There are laybys and picnic spots where cyclists, motorcyclists and other visitors can pull over to safely appreciate the view.
Affectionately known as Chappies, this is a toll route and users must pay a fee to enter it. It’s worth making sure that the route is open before heading there as it is sometimes closed during times of maintenance, or heavy rainfall and high winds due to potential rock falls.
Other incredibly scenic routes for those considering filming in Cape Town include Link Road at Cape Point, Boyes Drive above Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, and Victoria Road which runs from Sea Point to Hout Bay. Tafelberg Road along the face of Table Mountain and the nearby Signal Hill Road both offer magnificent sea and city views, as well as dirt tracks for those looking for a more rural feel.
Cape Town’s unfinished cut-off highway, with its sudden drop, is a great place to shoot freeway scenes without the hassle of traffic interference. Long Street in the city’s centre is lined with bars, restaurants, bookshops and other stores. The popular tourist attraction bustles day and night. In Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, the roads are cobbled and multi-coloured, 18th century houses provide vibrant options for film shoots.
A location scout can suggest the best spot for your shoot and help you acquire the necessary film permits.
