Garden Route Trail

21/01/2025

The snorkeling has been insane this summer with some incredible sightings.
A definite highlights was watching juvenile Cape Knifejaws offering a cleaning station service to Twotone Fingerfins.

In the Garden Route, 'reef cleaning stations' are not usually observed.This interaction between a juvenile Cape Knifejaw and some Twotone Fingerfins suggests...

21/01/2025

The Moonlight Meander is always an incredible experience.

February Moonlight Meander Dates.

The Moonlight Meander will be conduct on the 12th and 28th February.

Logistics
* Time : 19h00
* Meeting location : Swartvlei Beach parking area
* Cost : R250.00/person
* Gear required : Torch, shoes suitable for the beach and a warm top.
* Booking: contact Judy on whatsapp on 0723906667.

09/01/2025

With the warm ocean temperatures this summer, there ha e been some incredible sightings of tropical species in the Garden Route that have drifted down from KwaZulu Natal in the Agulhas current.

In mid summer, when the Agulhas current warms up the ocean temperature in the Garden Route, it brings a range of tropical fish that are usually found in KwaZ...

08/01/2025

All creatures great and small. Skating and diving spider.

On a recent forest walk, the primary theme of interest was spiders.
Spanning the path were a multitude of spider webs, with Kite, Silver Vlei and Bark spiders the most common.
In the lead, it was a constant effort to clear the webs so as not to walk into them.
At a stream crossing, while preparing for a swim, we noticed a Wilf Spider, rear legs holding on a rock and the rest of her (the size suggested a female) legs spread out across the waters surface, the water tension supporting her weight.
After skating across the water, she then dived underwater, her entire body cloaked in a silver film of air as she hung onto a rock.
20 minutes later, she had resurfaced, but remained on the surface, anchored to a rock with her rear legs.

03/01/2025

From late December 2024 and into the first half of January 2025, the sea conditions in the Garden Route have been tropical, with sea temperatures hovering around 23°C with exceptional visibility. As a consequence, numerous tropical fish species have been seen on inshore snorkeling dives in the region.

From late December 2024 and into the first half of January 2025, the sea conditions in the Garden Route have been tropical, with sea temperatures hovering ar...

01/01/2025

If you are looking for some incredible coastal rock pools to swim and snorkel in on a coastal hike in the Garden Route, the Amphitheater Trail, a guided day walk in the Robberg Coastal Corridor Protected Environment, has excellent options.

The Amphitheatre Trail is the first stage of a three day coastal slackpacking trail that traverses the Robberg Coastal Corridor. Established to create a wil...

27/12/2024

Amphitheater Trail | Explore our human past

The Amphitheater Trail is a coastal day hike in the Robberg Coastal Corridor. Established to create a wildlife corridor between the Robberg Nature Reserve and the Harkerville section of the Garden Route National Park.
A guided hike, the trail traverses over 400 million years of geology, crossing sections of fossil seabed with traces of ancient invertebrates.
The sections along the shoreline are rugged, with raw natural beauty, spectacular cliffs and textured vistas.
The Amphitheater Trail can be hiked as a stand alone day hike, but is also the first day of the Inqua Trail, a three day coastal slackpacking trail that traverses the Robberg Coastal Corridor Protected Environment

23/12/2024

Robberg Nature Reserve : Point Trail

The Robberg Point Trail is one of the best coastal hikes in the Garden Route.
A 9km loop, the trail is a mix of prepared paths, wooden staircases, rock scrambling and sandy beaches.
Attractions are the remarkable geology and viewing of marine fauana.
Looking down at the Cape Fur Seal colony, which has between 6000 and 10,000 seals, and watching their antics as they frolick near the colony and hunt in the surf at the point, is a highlight of the hike.
In winter, there are ample opportunities to view Southern Right and Humpback Whales in the bay.
Great White Sharks can also be seen cruising along the shoreline in winter, while Bronze Whaler Sharks patrol the northern shore during the summer months.
Pods of Common and Bottlenose Dolphins are regularly seen in the bay, and occasionally Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins can be seen.
From spring to late summer the Kelp Gull colony on the Island are nesting. Watching the gull chick's learn to fly in late December and early January is a spectacle that is worth lingering to watch.
In March, the Brunsvigia bloom on the southern side of the trail is simply spectacular as the massive flowers paint the slope a vivid pink-red.
An endemic species, the Gasteria is another special bloom on mid to late winter.
Along the edge of the path, and even on it, you will be entertained by the antics of the Southern Rock Agama, with the blue headed males staking their territory with a series of push-ups.
There is no surface water on the trail, and in summer, it is imperative to carry at least 1l of water for the hike.
For the rough sections, it is best to wear good hiking shoes or trail runners.
Most importantly, take good sun protection.

Touted as the best coastal day hike in South Africa, the Robberg Point Hiking Trail is a 9km looped route in the Robberg Nature Reserve. Sporting magnificent...

22/12/2024

2024 has been another incredible year of outdoor adventures for both our guests and ourselves and we look forward to crafting even more outdoor experiences in 2025.

The Garden Route of South Africa is an outdoors enthusiasts adventure playground. From ridge to reef, a network of trails allow you to explore the natural di...

13/12/2024

Discover the rugged coastal beauty of the Inqua Trail.

The Inqua trail is a 3 day guided slackpacking trail between Robberg Nature Reserve and the Harkerville section of the Garden Route National Park.The trail t...

06/12/2024

This summer, be safe and mindful of the environment in the Garden Route.

Marine Wildlife Encounters A large part of your activity list on your vacation will be to get outdoors and back into nature to ‘revitalize’ or destress after a demanding year. This will no doubt in…

14/11/2024

Summer is for early morning Kayaking.

The long daylight of summer in the Garden Route is ideal for early morning Kayaking, and combined with some wetland birding, is the perfect way to work up t...

14/11/2024

There is space on the Moonlight Meander tonight, Thursday 14th November.

07/11/2024

Wood wide web

Hiking through the forest is for most a visual collage of green, towering trees, a tangle of undergrowth infused with scents of fragrance underscored by notes of musky dampness.

Supporting this seemingly chaotic array of trees is a fungal network of mycelium, lacing its way throughout the forest floor.

Responsible for the very vitality of the forest, the wood wide web connects each and every plant in the forest with each other and is integral in the health and welfare of them all.
The fungal mycelium conveys minerals, water, and nutrients across the forest. It is the primary driver of recycling dead organic material, the chemical process of recycling that supports the forest.
It is the community defense against disease and the onslaught of pests, conveying healing and repellent chemicals where required.
Without a healthy fungal and microbial biome in the ground, the forest would not flourish.
Within this community of trees, there is both a vertical and horizontal structure that ensures the protection against disease and fire threats.
Within this complex community, spatial arrangements are maintained by complex seed dispersal strategies.
Walking through a forest is not merely a walk, it is an immersion into a complex community that is over 300 million years old.

Join Mark on a guided forest walk to learn about the complex life of forests.
Link in bio.

04/11/2024

Are you ready for some river fun in Wilderness this summer?

A popular day trip in the Garden Route is a forest canoe and hiking outing to the Touws River Waterfall. Canoes can be hired from Eden Adventures and the out...

24/10/2024

Expedition Tourism

There is an increasing demand for tourism activities that provide a sense of purpose, to contribute to our understanding of the world.
Citizen science has the capacity to contribute significantly to research, conservation and social ecology.
Traveling to a destination to broaden personal insights into ecosystems, rare species, ecological services and human impacts on nature, enriches the experience, and has the capacity to stimulate a desire to modify lifestyles to reduce personal impact on the environment.
On the Garden Route Coastal Meander, we introduce guests on the hike to the ecological services provided by forest, fynbos and marine habitats. We also monitor the impact of climate change on indicator species. Hiking through one of the regions with the richest pleistocene fossil trackways, we both discover new fossil footprints and learn from those already studied.
Over the 5 days of hiking and canoeing, guests are immersed in pristine habitats and shown examples of natural processes, both current and in the archeological record of the past 130,000 years.
These perspectives are often life changing, and most gratifying, is when guests correspond to relate how they have modified their lifestyles to reduce their environmental impact and to enhance their benefit from natural ecological services.
Hiking is more than the transit between two points, but an opportunity to experience our place, and role, in the biosphere.

13/10/2024

Taking a snack break on the edge of a small bay.
Would you have a quick swim?