my views

A dog-friendly trail with the most spectacular views “There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them." - Jo Walton Sunset from Kloof Corner One of my favourite, short and sweet hikes to do is Kloof Corner. You shouldn’t underestimate the distance of the hike, which is only one kilometre from the start of the trail to the beacon, because it is quite a workout and will get your heart racing.  The plus side is that it is dog-friendly and has the most scenic views of Lions Head, the Camps Bay beach strip, the 12 Apostles and the city bowl from the viewing point at the beacon.  It is the perfect spot to catch an amazing sunrise or sunset. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous and want to do a longer hike, you can continue along the contour path, which has other routes that split off it like India Venster, Union Cave and even Platterklip Gorge.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Im...

If you want a more physically challenging hike for you and your dog, why not try Devil's Peak.  When looking at Table Mountain from the front (or in any iconic pic or illustration) the peak on the left is Devil's Peak before you see the flat tabletop and Lions Head and Signal Hill on the right.  How Devil's Peak got its name Devil's Peak is the Dutch translation of Duivels Kop. The Peak got its name from a legendary folk-tale. According to Ridgway Ramblers , Jan Van Hunks, a retired Dutch pirate who lived in Cape Town, would go to the mountain to smoke his pipe as his wife didn’t allow him to puff at home. One day while enjoying a pipe a stranger challenged him to a smoking duel. For several days they sat on the mountain and smoked and smoked until a huge cloud enveloped both of them and the peak upon which they were sitting. When the smoke cleared both old men were gone and it was realised that the second old man was the devil and in losing the smoking competition, Van...

One of the most scenic, dog-friendly trails on Table Mountain Table Mountain is one of the most iconic landmarks of Cape Town, and arguably, of South Africa, holding the coveted, global ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’ status since 2011. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. One of the most frequented trails on Table Mountain is The Pipe Track.  According to SANPark’s website , it is called The Pipe Track as the path was originally constructed to service a pipeline running below the Twelve Apostles, to channel water from the top of Table Mountain to Oranjezicht in the late 1900s. You can still see the pipeline at various parts along the trail. The start for the trail is situated just off Kloof Nek, as you turn into Tafelberg Road (use the parking area on your immediate left), cross the road and follow the stairs to the trail’s path. You will see Lions Head on the opposite side of the road, which will be behind you as you continue on the trail and the big building on y...

Constantia is also dubbed the Green Belt because of the lush greenery and an array of trails and walks, many of which are dog friendly. Klaasenbosch is one of the trails on this Green Belt where you walk under a canopy of trees, along the Cecilia Stream where you’ll find the exotic Australian tree ferns on the water’s edge.  The trail has several starting points, but we choose to start on Hohenhort Avenue, just opposite the top section of the Alphen Trail. There is a signboard that marks the start of the trail. Follow the sandy trail as it winds up and stick to the left path along the stream. Look out for the Arum lillies which are currently in bloom and growing in abundance in the area.  You will go up a small incline and descend into an amazing unspoilt, natural garden. This trail is bicycle-free but popular with trail runners, dog walkers and horse riders.   There are plenty of places for your pooch to frolic in the water and cool down all along your walk. There i...

One of our absolute favourite hiking spots is Cecilia Forest. It has an array of different trails you can do, depending on your mood and what you’d like to see. One that is a short (5km), steep staircase climb to a beautiful oasis is the Cecilia Waterfall trail. This hidden gem, which takes about two hours to complete, is worth exploring with your pawsome pet and easy to find if you follow the landmarks below as a guide.  From Cecilia Forest parking area (opposite Hohenort Avenue, just off Rhodes Drive), follow the Jeep Track towards the pine forest. At the fork in the road, turn right and continue on this path until you reach a water feature.  It is a small catchment area, caused by a flowing stream that runs down the mountain, where your furry friend can take a dip. This is a welcome reprieve on a hot summer’s day and one of the highlights of the trail is that there’s quite a few spots where your dog can wet his undercarriage and cool down his paws.  When they’ve had e...

One of the positive unintended consequences of Lockdown is that many people have rediscovered the outdoors and are enjoying the benefits of being in nature, both for their physical health and their mental wellbeing. And while this is great, many of the mountain trails have become congested and even more popular than our shopping malls used to be. With rows of cars stretching for kilometres before you reach the trail’s starting point. A good way to avoid the crowds is to start early and to do a less popular trail.  Waleed, Kygo and The Lion We did a 4km trail at the back of Lions Head to Signal Hill. This is a great alternative to Lions Head, especially with Kygo (our rottweiler), as he won’t be able to manoeuvre over the big rocks and up the ladders. We started the trail in a parking area where you’ll find a small white, green and gold building. It is known as the  Kramat of Shaykh Mohamed Hassen . A kramat is a shrine where holy men of Islam are buried. According to  SA ...

An easy 7km trail that is kid and dog-friendly My love affair with Silvermine Nature Reserve, part of the Table Mountain National Park, started four years ago when we hiked the Noordhoek Peak Circuit. I absolutely fell in love with the place - so much so that almost every Sunday, come rain or shine, you can find us exploring one of the Reserve’s trails.  Naturally when we got Kygo, our exuberant Rottweiler, we took him along on our hikes. Kygo was built with adventure hard-coded in his DNA. He absolutely loves water, swimming and outdoor adventures, and Silvermine offers all of this.  Kygo and I at the Noordhoek Peak Circuit looking out over Hout Bay About the Noorhoek Peak Circuit The Noordhoek Peak Circuit is a 7km hike that you can comfortably complete in about 2 and a half hours. With an elevation of 754m at the Peak, it offers spectacular views of some of Cape Town’s most amazing beaches. This hike is incredibly beautiful and as you are walking there are so many different...