Beachcomber's Paradise

The Southern Cape coast was not only a home for our ancestors, it also provided the creative spark for the world’s first abstract work of art. Thousands of years later, the coastline continues to inspire. Come hike the Alikreukel Trail, from Blombosch to Still Bay.

- Pierre Steyn

Walking is good for you. It’s even better when you can do it outside, and it’s best in an unspoilt environment – mountains, bushveld or desert. But a hike along the beach, through coastal fynbos, is my favourite.

It’s a buffet for the senses. You smell the salt on the breeze, ripe kelp, fynbos herbs and the honeyed scent of white bristle bush. Sand and shells crunch underfoot while seagulls struggle to make themselves heard above the crashing waves. It doesn’t take you long to fall behind your hiking partners as you take photos of every bit of beauty around you.

After a while, though, you forget about your camera as the sea air purifies your brain. The German philosopher-poet Friedrich Nietzsche said it best: “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

And it’s on the ancient coastal paths of the four-day Alikreukel Trail where humans had their first truly great thoughts 70 000 years ago.

Our group of 11 hikers from all over the country congregates at Seesig Chalets in Jongensfontein on a Friday afternoon in March. Our initial conversation is all about gear, food and the weather – as it always is when people get to know each other before a big hike.

Derek Odendaal, our guide and the man behind the Alikreukel Trail, assures us that tomorrow is going to be a perfect day for walking. “There are a few drops of rain predicted for Sunday,” he says. “But it’s not like we’re afraid of getting wet, are we?”

I see some worried glances. Let’s hope it drizzles rather than pours…