Explore the Cape of Good Hope Overnight Trail

The Cape of Good Hope Overnight Trail is a spectacular two-day hike that takes you through one of South Africa’s most iconic coastal landscapes. Located just over an hour from Cape Town, within the Cape Point nature reserve, this roughly 34-kilometer trail winds along dramatic clifftops, pristine beaches, and rugged fynbos-covered hills at the southwestern tip of the Cape Peninsula. Lauren and I had a reflective walk across Cape Point’s rugged terrain, trailing shifting weather, open landscapes, and the calm satisfaction that follows the trail’s end.

Distance

33.8km (21 miles)

Day 1 – 19km (11.8 miles)
Day 2 – 14.8km (9.2 miles)

Logistics

Park at the entrance of the Cape Point nature reserve (the Toll Gate). Book an overnight hut via the Table Mountain National Park Reservations on 021 712 7471. More information here.

Safety

Safe as it’s in a nature reserve. There are baboons (we didn’t see them), so don’t leave food unattended. Trail is well marked, but we downloaded the route on AllTrails as a backup.

Season

All year round. We did the hike in August (end of South African winter).

Day 1 – Toll Gate to Erica Hut

The 2-day journey begins at the Cape Point reserve toll gate. Situated in a somewhat blind valley, you can’t really see the rest of the reserve until you crest the small hill above the gate and see an auspicious piece of land, expanding into the ocean, where massive cliff faces plunge into the cold Atlantic Ocean. Having booked and paid for the hut well in advance, we arrive at the gate, park our car and pick up the keys to the hut. The weather seems to be trying to make its mind up, as the gunmetal grey clouds allow brief moments of beautiful golden sunshine.

We set off up the well maintained and signposted path, opting to do the route in reverse. The reason for this was that we knew we would be hiking in bad weather on our second day, so we wanted to do the longer 20km day in the good weather, and then do the shorter 14km, potentially in the rain.

The path takes us through a myriad of micro biomes. It winds through large, scattered boulders, beautifully formed by weather to create gargoyle-like features. Then onto untouched, open grassland complete with Ostriches and Bontebok. Then we go through a section of marshy wetland, frogs and toads croaking happily away. The next section takes us past a small pristine pan, called Sirkelsvlei pan. This is quite amazingly fed by fresh underground aquifers. According to the hike’s brochure, this pan was historically used by the military as a fighter pilot’s shooting range. Spent cartridges and bullets can still be found in the mud today.

After winding through some more big sandstone boulders, we reach the coast on the Western side of the point. We see some interesting Khoisan shell middens, which are large heaps of discarded shells left there by Khoisan hunter gatherers thousands of years ago. We venture down towards the point, through tunnels of milk wood trees and sandy beaches, sadly littered with quite a few metal crab traps that must’ve broken their anchors. After a long sandy stretch, we climb the last slope up to our hut for the night, which was called Erica hut.

By this stage the wind was blowing intensely, but we feel cozy in the small hut, which has a fully kitted out kitchen, cutlery and crockery included. After dinner we don some big jackets and explore the old observation post just behind the hut. It is quite interestingly designed with some jagged boulders set into its concrete roof, obviously to break up the straight lines for effective camouflage. It also has a row of windows at shoulder level, allowing fully unobstructed views all around the point and over False Bay. We hurry back to the hut through the crazily strong wind. A plastic bottle of wine is produced from my bag and we huddle in the kitchen, enjoying a cozy evening out of the wind.

Day 2 – Erica Hut to Toll Gate

The next day brings the sound of wind whooshing through the rafters of our hut, and the sound of rain splattering on the roof and windows. The weather is not looking promising for hiking, and we debate over whether we should walk back to the tar road and catch a lift from a passing car back to the gate. We decided this would be a shame, and we were also well invested by this stage as one must pay for four people even if you are only a pair sleeping in the hut. So we decide to brave the wind and rain, and we end up having a fantastic time. Our walk on the second day takes us across a lightly wooded plain, where we see a lone Ostrich male herding a group of females. Then we continue up towards the rocky, steep slopes of Judas Peak, where some of the best views of the hike are had. We encounter two klipspringers, quite near the path, going about their daily business. The bad weather allowed us to be quite close to them without them being frightened of us.

Upon cresting a slope around the Judas peak area we get slammed by more wind and sideways rain. Lauren is glad for her waterproof pants and boots. I am wearing only a rain jacket, and my legs and feet are wet through. Despite the weather, we thankfully are still able to enjoy beautiful views of False Bay, and the huge peaks rising out of the ocean on the point are astounding. We find a good place to have lunch underneath a large propped up boulder, which forms a cave for us to shelter in.

The afternoon brings better weather, and although the wind is still buffering us, the sun comes out to dry us out. The last part of the hike continues above some massive sea cliffs, the ocean striking steadily at the rocks far below. The trail follows the contours of the cliffs for several kilometers, some coming close to the edge where the wind rises sharply from the sea. In the final few hundred meters we begin to meet other hikers and tourists, their clean clothes and cameras a clear sign that the end is near. It feels strange to step back into the civilized world after a day and a half of quiet paths and wide, open landscapes. We throw our bags into the car and make our way to the nearest brewery, ready to look back on the hike over a cold beer and a warm pizza — red, content, and quietly grateful for the wild corner of coastline we’ve just crossed.