With South Africa under national lockdown Level 3 to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the beaches and many recreational activities like picnicking, braaing and swimming are off limits. And while a dip in the ocean may not be permitted, a walk alongside it, smelling the fresh sea breeze and feeling the cool ocean spray is a great consolation.
Hike the Hoek van Bobbejaan Trail
We hiked the Hoek van Bobbejaan Trail in Cape Point, which is part of the Table Mountain Nature Reserve. It is a circular route with an estimated hiking time of 3 hours.
The trail starts with a sharp, stair-like descent to the beach. There were many people foraging in the low tide for crayfish. This is allowed, provided you have a permit. We also saw quite a few people angling (fishing). We were fortunate that there was a bit of mist when we started (just after 8am) so it was nice and cool.
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| A misty morning |
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| Can you spot the diver? He's searching for crayfish |
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| Stunning ocean views |
As our hike continued, the cloud cover disappeared and we were walking in the direct sun. A good, wide-brimmed hat and lots of sunblock is needed. You also need to pack lots of water and snacks.
We followed the trail all along the coast towards the Cape of Good Hope. The views are just incredible, and the fresh ocean breeze keeps you cool as you are walking. You can spot the eland droppings along the path, although we didn’t see any eland today.
The trail is moderately easy (kids could totally do it, provided they are fit enough for a long walk). Cape Point is not dog-friendly though (a huge bummer, I know) because of the wildlife in the reserve.
The trails are well marked. In parts, there are lots of rocks along the shore but the path is made up of big rocks which make it easy to traverse. We walked for about three kilometres in one direction before we stopped to enjoy a break (and some packed breakfast cups). We then turned around and completed the rest of the circular path. In total our hike was six kilometres, which we completed in about two and a half hours.
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| quite a neat pathway |
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| a beautiful seaside walk |
What can you see?
Along the way you can spot an array of wildlife and beautiful fynbos.
We saw:
- Cape Sugarbirds
- Tortoises
- lots of black girdled lizards
- a seal sunbathing
- a little snake
- some inquisitive ostriches
- lots of Cape Cormorant commonly known as Duikers (birds)
- a Grey Heron and
- a pair of Egyptian geese
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| Some Duikers in the distance |
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| A tortoise trying to camouflage |
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| a seal sunbathing |
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| the Grey Heron and lots of Duikers |
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| Can you spot the ostriches? |
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| a fynbos field |
If you are a flower fanatic, look out for the Sugarbushes (Proteas) as you’ll often spot the Cape Sugarbirds enjoying the nectar of the flowers. There’s also lots of pincushions and I even saw Sea Roses.
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| Sea Rose (Orphium Frutescens) |
The path back up to the top gets your heart rate going but if you need to take a break and turnaround, a look at the view will make the climb worth your while.
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| The trail winds along the coast |
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| Some fishermen |
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| Enjoying the seaside hike |
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| My friend, Laurinda, and I |
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| Waleed leading the way back up to the circular path |
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| The view from the top |
How to get there
If you travel along the M5 and the coast, it is about an hour’s drive from the Southern Suburbs in Cape Town. It is an immensely scenic drive pass Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and then through Simon’s Town. There are other ways to get there, like over Ou Kaapse Weg, so best to use your GPS.
How much is the entry fee?
The entry fee for South Africans at Cape Point is R85 for an adult and R40 per child.
You can gain free entry with a Sanparks Wildcard or a My Green Card. I would highly recommend that you get a My Green Card. It costs R175 and offers you 12 entries into various Table Mountain National Park points including Boulders Beach (which is off limits at the moment), Silvermine and Cape Point, among others. For more info on the card, click here.
What else can you do there?
There are loads of other hikes to do in Cape Point. Many people also cycle through the reserve. You can go to the viewing point and even do a trip up with the funicular. Visit the Cape Point website for more info or to download their audio tour, or click to view the Sanpark's Cape Point brochure.
Hello. What a beautiful, insightful and useful article. Thank you. I love the pictures. This is something I definitely plan to do with the children. I'm actually going to let them read this article to inspire them to start this adeventure. As you know they are not early risers. Stay well! Xx
ReplyDeleteHi. Gia and Cade will love it! Hopefully by the time you go they'll allow swimming and picnicking. I would recommend that you get the My Green Card :) I'm sure they'll enjoy a trip in the funicular too. XX
DeleteOh wow Imtithaal! These are the things and places I want to go to but never have the time.
ReplyDelete