GARDEN ROUTE TRAIL
The Garden Route Trail is a relaxed coastal walk through diverse habitats and vegetation. The emphasis of the trail is on enviro-information, archeological interest and birding. It includes two relaxed canoe stages and two fairly long beach stages. The departure dates are tide dependent in order to enable easy river crossing and the beaches are largely flat and firm. Beginning in Wilderness, it traverses two nature reserves (Wilderness National Park and Goukamma Nature Reserve) to finish on the western edge of the Knysna Lagoon. The trail passes through some of South Africa’s largest tracts of remaining Afromontane forests, as well as Milkwood dune forests, wetlands, beaches, rock pools and lagoon habitats.
The trail is a slackpacking style hike, where the accommodation is in chalets at various resorts with the catering provided at each location. Main luggage is transferred daily and you only carry your day pack. Two consecutive nights are at one resort in Goukamma.
Starting dates coincide with tidal cycles, to maximize firm-sand walking at low tide for the beach stages. A five-day trail, approximately 55km.
Detailed standard itinerary :
Day 1.
5Km forest walk, 6km river canoe, Guests meet at the Fairy Knowe Hotel for registration. Activities start with a canoe trip and walk following the Touw River through indigenous forest for lunch alongside the river. Returning to the canoes, guests take a meandering return canoe trip, then transfer to the Ebb and Flow Rest Camp for the evening. Dinner is prepared by your guide.
Day 2.
16Km beach walk. On the second day, after breakfast, guests are collected by a local taxi and driven to Kleinkrans from where the days walk starts. The trail passes rock pools which can be explored at low tide and tracts of washed up sea shells along some of South Africa’s most pristine and secluded golden beaches. The highlight of this stage are the towering fossil dunes with fossilized trackways. 800m before reaching your accommodation you cross the Kingfisher Creek, either swimming or wading if the estuary mouth is open. Dinner is prepared by your guide.
Day 3.
16km comprising 14km beach and 2km dune fynbos stages. After breakfast you start off on a 14km beach walk with plenty opportunities to swim in the surf before leaving the beach after Skimmelkrans in Goukamma Nature Reserve and traversing vegetated dunes to Goukamma River. Crossing the river on a pont you reach your accommodation in thatched rondavels where you over night for two nights. Dinner is a Potjie.
Day 4.
3 hour Birding canoe, 8km dune and beach circuit. After breakfast the group canoes up the Goukamma River looking for African Fish Eagles and other bird species for the morning. For the afternoon you walk on a loop including beach and dune sections. To round off the day, dinner is prepared over a fire at sunset..
Day 5.
Relaxed start, 8km walk, reflective drink, shuttle back to Wilderness. Guests enjoy relaxed breakfast followed by a 8km walk to Brenton on Sea where you can enjoy an optional lunch or beverage before being transported back to Wilderness.
Trail highlights :
The Garden Route Coastal Meander offers superb birding on both riverine stages. Coastal highlights are the marine diversity in the rock pools on the intertidal coastal shelf and the abundance of fossil trackways in the fossil dunes. Your guide is an expert in both marine ecology and fossil footprints and shares insights into these fields and some of his research involvement along the route.
