Gifkommetjie Circuit

Loosely translated, Gifkommetjie means Poison(ous) Little Bay. The origins of the name are obscure but it probably comes from the abundance of poisonous euphorbia plants that grow on the sandy plain between the ridge and the rocky shoreline. This trail is on the Atlantic side of the Peninsula and, starting high up, includes views of the rocky coastline and sandy beaches in both directions.

What you can expect:

We drive on a circular paved road, not far from the lighthouse, that we would normally visit first. There is a parking area at the start, with a few short paths to viewing platforms overlooking the bay. The trail starts on this ridge and meanders along the top for about 1.5 km before descending to the sandy coastal plateau. The path is well defined, but typical of ridge paths the underfoot conditions are uneven and vary between solid rock, firm sandy path and uneven stony. Overall is reasonable easy going however.

Once down at the coast you have a choice between walking on the sandy path between the rocky shore and the ridge behind or rock hopping along the shoreline itself. At one point the path cuts through a high growth of bushes that you may need to stoop down to get through. The path along the coast is just over 2 km with a few optional loops that can stretch it out a bit, before climbing up one of two zig-zag routes to the ridge again.

At the time of writing – November 2017 – the trail is still recuperating from an extensive fire in the area in 2015, but the fynbos is in full recovery mode.

Timing: It takes about an hour and a half to drive from the City to start of the hike at Cape Point. We usually allow an hour to walk up to the viewing point at the Cape Point Lighthouse, before driving back to the start of the trail, although this can also be done afterward. There is also the obligatory visit to the Cape of Good Hope itself, a short detour from the main road. Collection from accommodation in the city is usually early, although there is some flexibility.

The hike usually takes between two and three hours and can be extended slightly by taking an extra loop at the end. The trail finishes in the parking area where the vehicle has been left.