Cape Town Cape Point Nature Hike

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Cape Point Nature Reserve, Cape Town Central South Africa

We meet at your accommodation and shuttle along a beautiful route to Cape Point Nature Reserve which is simply sensational and a must-see on any visit to the Mother City. A towering headland at the end of the peninsula, it is the meeting point of the cold Benguela and warm Agulhas currents as the western and eastern oceans collide in spectacular fashion. It is the most southwestern point in Africa and abounds with indigenous fynbos (fine bush) of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a Natural World Heritage Site that is the smallest, yet most diverse, of the world’s floral kingdoms.

The world’s most scenic one-day hike? Quite possibly. Walking south and with glittering False Bay hundreds of feet below them, we enjoy panoramic views all the way. A single track trail down to the Indian Ocean side of the reserve follows the meandering contours of its mountains, dipping down onto pearly beaches where baboons forage along a teeming ocean edge. It’s also the best hike on the peninsula for wildlife: reptiles are common in summer, antelope and ostrich are often seen, and in spring, lucky hikers may walk next to breeching Southern Right whales.

We have a beach picnic with some of the delicacies that South Africa has to offer and continue on the famous Shipwreck Trail. The Cape of Storms, the original name accorded to the present Cape of Good Hope, was not given lightly to one of the most notoriously dangerous coastlines in the world. Evidence of numerous shipwrecks litters the Cape coast from North to South, some of which may still be seen today around Cape Point amongst them the Thomas T Tucker, wrecked in 1942 and a French pirate ship, Le Napoleon, foundered after being chased ashore at Olifantsbos by the Royal Navy frigate Narcissus on December 25, 1805

To hike the Phyllisia trail, we take the trail leading along Klein Kommetjie Ridge to Die Hoek van Bobbejaan to view the remains of the Phyllisia, a steam trawler wrecked in 1968. The views are stunning! Buffels Bay, or Buffalo Bay, is said to have earned its name from a ship that was wrecked during the 1700s. Legend has it that a ship transporting buffalo apparently hit the rocky shoreline and broke apart, freeing the animals, which swam across the bay to freedom. There may also be some visible wreckage of the Tania, a fishing trawler wrecked at Buffels Bay in 1970.

After a full day of hiking and experiencing the stunning coastline, we return to Cape Town.

Duration: 5 hours