Cape Travel Guides - Hiking and Walking - Adventure Safaris

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  INFORMATION:
  PORT ELIZABETH

Walking/Hiking
Province: Eastern Cape
Closest City: Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth is fast developing a reputation as South Africa's eco-city. The city offers an unbeatable variety of walks within the city limits, including coastal and valley experiences. The well-marked trails can be self-guided or accompanied by expert trail guides.

Sacramento Hiking Trail:
The Sacramento is a popular 8 km round trip coastal walk through the Schoenmakerskop-Sardinia Bay Nature Reserve and is accessed by travelling along Sardinia Bay Road. The area offers attractive seascapes, landscapes and, depending on the season, some remarkable displays of dune vegetation and wild flowers. At Schoenmakerskop, a bronze cannon points towards the wreck site of the Portuguese galleon, Sacramento, which foundered on 30 June 1647. The route continues past the Sacramento monument towards the far end of the sandy bay, aptly named Cannon Bay where the ruins of a mill, which used to crush seashells are located, and then on to the Sacramento Tea Room. 
Tel: (041)585 9711 (Port Elizabeth Municipality, Parks & Recreation Department).

Roseate Tern Hiking Trail:
The 366 hectare Cape Recife Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1973, and is situated next to the Pine Lodge Holiday Resort off Marine Drive, Summerstrand. A 9 km circular walking trail starts at the entrance gate of the Nature Reserve and offers beautiful unspoilt beaches, natural dune vegetation, rocky outcrops, a lighthouse built in 1851, an old military observation post, as well as a bird hide. No permit is required for hikers leaving their vehicles outside the gate. The Reserve is also regarded as one of the prime birdwatching venues around Port Elizabeth. 
Tel: (041)585 9711 (Port Elizabeth Municipality, Parks & Recreation Department).

Van Der Kemp's Kloof Trail:
The newly laid out Van Der Kemp's Kloof Trail starts at the historical Bethelsdorp Village (outside the Van der Kemp's Kloof Church), the first missionary settlement in Port Elizabeth. It proceeds up the kloof into wilderness atmosphere, returning along the plateau through botanically interesting grassy Fynbos, with magnificent views across the Swartkops Valley and Algoa Bay. Duration: 8km / 3-4 hrs. For further information contact the PEM Parks Department on Tel: (041) 585 9711.

Guinea Fowl Hiking Trail:
The Lower Guinea Fowl Hiking Trail is a 7,5 km trail which is accessed from the 3rd Avenue dip in Newton Park, leading down to Settler's Park and Brickmakers Kloof. The trail meanders along the edge of the Baakens River flood-plain, and passes through a steep-sided valley below the city suburbs for its full length. The trail offers an accessible walk of considerable interest ranging from wildflowers, trees and blue water lillies to fauna such as dassies, leguaans, tortoises and lizards. The area is also excellent for bird-watching. It is important to note that, as the trail is not a circular one, arrangements need to be made to collect hikers at the Settlers ark Chelmsford Avenue entrance, off Target Kloof or at the main parking area just off How Avenue, Park Drive.
Tel: (041) 373 6794 / 585 9711 (Port Elizabeth Municipality, Parks & Recreation Department).

Aloe Hiking Trail:
The Swartkops Aloe Reserve, which is located at the top of Tippers Creek Road between Amsterdamhoek and Bluewater Bay, offers two trails, a short 2 km trail and a longer 7km trail. These are accessed by travelling along the N2 towards Grahamstown and taking the off-ramp for Bluewater Bay and Swartkops, left into Hillcrest Drive and left again into Riverside Drive. Both take a circular route via the escarpment, returning through the valley bushveld on the plateau. Aloes at the start of the trail make a stunning show when in flower during July. From the top of the escarpment, there are excellent views of the lower reaches of the Zwartkops estuary, a major recreational area. Enquiries may be directed to Swartkops Nature Conservation Officer.
Tel: (041) 466 0909 / 585 9711 (Port Elizabeth Municipality, Parks & Recreation Department).

Bushbuck Hiking Trail:
The Island Nature Reserve is located approximately 25 km from Port Elizabeth and is accessed via the Seaview Road turn off along the national road. The Reserve comprises 480 hectares of indigenous Alexandria coastal forest and boasts tree species such as Outeniqua yellow-wood, white and hard pear as well as white milkwood. Fauna include small blue duiker, bushbuck, vervet monkey and bushpigs. More than fifty species of birds have been recorded, amongst them the Knysna lourie. The Reserve offers numerous walks, the most well known being the 16 km Bushbuck hiking trail, as well as picnic sites and a braai area. 
Tel: (041) 378 1634 / 378 1607 (Directorate Economic Affairs, Environment & Tourism, The Island Nature Reserve). 

Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve:
Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve, is a 500 hectare "floral wonderland" reserve and is located 35km from Port Elizabeth, bisected by the N2 Port Elizabeth to Cape Town highway. The terrain comprises southern wooded slopes, a large plateau and northern river banks each with its own vegetation type. The prime purpose of the Reserve is to protect and propagate the unique indigenous flora. Visitors are encouraged to explore and enjoy the extraordinary diversity and splendour of the natural Fynbos, succulents and other indigenous flora. The Reserve is open daily from 08h00 till 17h00 and offers two walking trails, picnic sites as well as a nursery selling indigenous flora. Tel: (041) 955 5649 / (041) 508 7111(Western District Council, Environment Conservation Division)


Settler's Park:
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, Parks & Recreation
Tel: (041) 373 6794 / 585 9711
The 54-hectare tranquil Settler's Park, which lies along the banks of the Baakens River, is located in the heart of the city. The park has three entrances and may be accessed via How Avenue, just off Park Drive; Chelmsford Avenue, just off Target Kloof or from Third Avenue, Walmer. It also offers recommended short walks that may commence from any of these entrances. The Park facilities include a flower display house, a Maquette of the 1820 Settlers' Statue, indigenous flora, rock pools with stepping-stones and grassed areas ideal for picnicking. The Park is rich in bird life, small buck and other fauna as well as offering an 8km-walking trail through the Baakens River Valley, named the Guinea Fowl Trail. 


Hiking Trails in the Maitland Nature Reserve:
The 127 hectare Maitland Nature Reserve, which is accessed via the Seaview Main Road to Maitland River Mouth, comprises dense indigenous coastal forest, abundant birdlife, an old wagon road which leads to Maitland lead mines, a variety of small animals such as bushbuck, and blue duiker as well as the famous giant Maitland sand dunes. The reserve offers three nature trails which provide easy access into the dense forest, namely; The Sir Peregrine Maitland Nature Trail which is a 3 km self-guided trail along the old wagon road; the De Stades Nature Trail which is 9 km long trail and provides magnificent view of St Francis Bay and Maitland dunes; and lastly the Igolomi Trial which is a 4km walk passing through some of the thickest sections of the dense forest. The Western Region District Council, Environment Conservation Division may be contacted for more information pertaining to the Reserve. 
Tel: (041) 508 7111