"Whale Trail - Hiking in the Southern Cape" Bredasdorp by sunscreen

The Whale Trail is a fabulous five day hiking trail along the coast near Bredasdorp, about 3,5 hours from Cape Town towards the Garden Route. It's regarded as a 'five star' hiking route with exceptional accommodation facilities featuring hot water showers, normally regarded as a luxury on South African hikes.

As the name indicates, the highlight of the trail is whale watching. The season starts in August, but on our hike in early July we saw many of them frolicking not far off the coastline. Dolphins and seals are also relatively common. Generally it's probably one of the best routes to see true Cape nature.

The hiking group we were with was a diverse lot. The youngest was baby Amy at three months (!!) and the oldest was, um, probably me...

Proteas with the coast in the background

There are transport services in Cape Town that ferry people to the start of the trail.

Highlights along the route...
* The friendly ostriches!
* The ferry over the Breede River

The first two stopovers on the hike are inland. The route then gently heads for the coastline. First and second days are relatively easy especially if you're walking with a daypack. Start out early on day one, since the first five kilometers are fairly steep and rocky. Once on top of the hill you have magnificent views of both the ocean and the Breede River... it's a good spot for a break.

On the second day the trial meanders gently down to the sea through acres of protea flowers. There's a tricky part through some mush in the rainy season, but the end result is a stunning view of a beautiful little river mouth with the A-frame huts just to the side.

Noetsie, the third overnight stop

... you walk along the coast, most of which is rocky cliffs. There's lots of time to stop...
*...and watch the whales
* ... skinny dip when no-one's watching
* ... stop at the rock with the hole through it the size of a double garage
* ... mind the dung beatles and other critters in the path
* ... there's a good chance you'll see some small antelopes en route.

On the final day a mini-bus takes you back to the starting point.

• Pros:Excellent facilities, spectacular coastline
• Cons:Five days can be a bit of a stretch!