Stone Aged cave dwellings, proteas galore, and the best land based whale watching in the world makes this stretch of South African coastline an exciting one to explore. Less than an hour between these attractions, or two and a half hours of drive will bring you all the way to Cape Town, thus ending the epic and memorable Gardens Route road trip!
+The Klipgat Caves section of Walker Bay Nature Reserve is just one section of this expansive seaside park.
A short and well maintained downhill path brings you to the beach and cave area, where you are left to your own device for exploration – best visited during low tide.
Walk to the left to discover the cave which has been a haven since Stone Age times, 85,000 years ago.
Heading in the opposite direction of the cave, there is a vast stretch of pristine white sand beach which stretches for miles. It is perfect for hiking or lounging, but dangerous for swimming.
If visiting when the tide is out, you never know just what you’ll find in the tide pools,
like this vibrant purple sea urchin – briefly and daily exposed by the pull of the moon.
Or who will be hunting in them – like this endangered African black oystercatcher.
The best thing about this preserve other than the scenery was the fact that no one else was there.
Admission fee or Wildcard required.
+The Fernkloof Nature Reserve is an absolute haven of botanical wonders.
Whether you’re looking for a walk in a garden or a true mountainous hike, you can find a diverse array of paths in this free preserve.
To start with the rambling paths of the garden, you will find a rainbow of magnificent blossoms.
Fun Fact: There are more than 30 species of protea flowers in the preserve, including the King Protea which is the national flower of South Africa.
Proteus was the Greek god who could change his form “to those of beasts who will mock your grasp.”
Nestled into the garden there were numerous birds and some tortoises too!
Continuing on to any of the 37 miles worth of trails in the reserve, you can discover more protea in their natural habitat.
Finding a king protea was especially exciting, it happens to be my favorite flower.
More stunning wildflowers exist outside of the protea family, with shapes and colors just as mesmerizing.
Hiking to the dams there were plenty of epic views of pinnacle like peaks, and peaceful views out into the bay.
+The Hermanus Cliff Path is a stunning coastal walk that stretches an entire city where you can walk for approximately seven miles one way.
I’ll be covering the section from New Harbour (where you can park in a quiet lot on Stil Street) to Gearings Point in the heart of town (where you can alternately park in a popular lot) which is just about 4 miles round trip.
There are long stretches of trail connected by a few quiet patches of city street on this part of the route.
Sections of trail surface are sometimes paved or boardwalked, and the route is easy with light hills.
Hermanus is renowned for whale watching and touted as the best land based viewing in the world.
You will see informational boards about the species and time of year where they can be spotted, though we were unable to spot any on our November walk.
Whales aren’t the only wildlife you can see, there are plenty of birds and dassies to get excited about as well.
Just taking in the captivating views makes the walk entirely worthwhile, with a wonderful peppering of wildflowers.
At Gearings Point there are a few sculptures that add some flavor to the landscape, one is accompanied by a poem:
‘The world’s decay where the wind’s hands have passed, And my head, out with love, at rest In my hands, and my hands, and my hands full of dust.’
+Stony Point Penguin Colony can be slotted into the road trip towards Cape Town, it will add approximately 30 extra minutes drive time. For a small price you can view a colony of penguins. Since I was visiting the penguins at Boulder Beach on the Cape Peninsula, I skipped this.
This is the Guide to Day 5 of Gardens Route National Park, click the link to help plan the rest of your road trip.