Our Burning Planet

The Whale Trail: South Africa’s coveted hike promising serenity and spectacular coastal views

Finishing whale trail, day five. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

22 Jan 2025

Even if nature isn’t really your thing, or you think hikers are a bit mad (fair), I truly believe most people would leave this trail feeling something we all crave but often forget: contentment.

You won’t see them, and they won’t see you (or anyone else for five days), but every single morning of the year 12 hikers set off from Potberg Hut in De Hoop Nature Reserve as they embark on day one of the Whale Trail.

Launched by CapeNature in 2001, the Whale Trail has earned its place as one of South Africa’s most coveted hikes, so popular that you have to book a year in advance, competing with international and local hikers trying to get a spot.

This five-day slackpacking adventure winds through the indigenous and protected landscapes of De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Overberg region, just a three-hour drive from Cape Town.

The 55km journey begins with two days of trekking through the fynbos-covered Potberg Mountains, before descending to a rugged, dramatic coastline that hugs the protected waters of the De Hoop Marine Protected Area (MPA).

The trail gets its name from the chance to spot southern right whales during their migration along the coast of De Hoop. From June to November, these endangered giants return to these waters to mate and calve, making this one of the world’s premier land-based whale-watching locations.

Like most South Africans fortunate enough to do it, and who feel a kinship with nature and escaping reality, this trail was a bucket list item for me – but it actually turned out to be better than I thought it would (despite not booking in whale season).

View of the Breede River below, day one of the Whale trail. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

Whale Trail De Hoop Day one of the Whale trail. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

It remains true for this hike, like most iconic trails in South Africa, that no description can truly capture the soft yellows and greens of mountain fynbos, the rich turquoise sea or the breathtaking sunsets – they simply have to be experienced in person. But beyond the undeniable natural beauty, the most remarkable part of this trail was how it offered a genuine escape from real life.

No other people (despite the 11 other hikers, who, even if you start as strangers, will feel like kin by the end of it), no phone signal (at least not strong enough for your colleagues to hassle you), no decision paralysis when browsing Netflix, and no sense of dread about tomorrow’s to-do list.

I belly laughed more in those five days than I had in weeks, I genuinely looked forward to the tuna sachet in my lunch pack each day, and my caramel Oats-So-Easy every morning. I loved getting into a fresh (ish) pair of tracksuit pants and socks after a long day of hiking and sitting around the fire at night (even though all my clothes smelled like smoke by the end).

And on the final day, when we discovered our hut’s running water wasn’t working, what started out as irritating became hilarious as we took turns pouring buckets of water over each other as makeshift showers and had to use the same buckets to fill the toilets.

Even if nature isn’t really your thing, or you think hikers are a bit mad (fair), I truly believe most people would leave this trail feeling something we all crave but often forget: contentment.

Day two of Whale Trail. The route follows the crest of the Potberg through mountain fynbos with unequalled views of the Indian Ocean and the Breede River. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

Day two of the Whale Trail, overlooking the Potberg Mountains. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

Day two of the Whale Trail, walking through mountain fynbos. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

Sunset at Noetsie hut, day two of Whale Trail. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

Shrinking landscapes and seas

The thing that struck me the most on that trail was how rare it feels to swim in tidal pools untouched by bottle caps or sewage warnings, or how strange it is to walk for five days without seeing another soul – apart from your group of 12 – through a landscape so pristine it still supports a thriving ecosystem. Here, you can see indigenous fynbos found nowhere else; plants such as proteas, ericas and restios; eland and grey rhebok through the fynbos; and if you’re up late at night, perhaps the elusive Cape leopard.

Cave on day three of Whale Trail. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

De Hoop Nature Reserve, spanning 34,000 hectares, is a World Heritage Site and one of the largest protected areas managed by CapeNature, the conservation authority responsible for biodiversity conservation in the Western Cape.

Adjacent to it lies the De Hoop MPA, a 51km stretch of coastline extending five nautical miles into the ocean. This entire MPA is a strict “no take” zone, serving as a critical migratory route and calving ground for southern right whales. A UCT study found that since De Hoop was proclaimed as a MPA in 1985, the abundance of six of the 10 most dominant fish species increased.

Sunset at Vaalkrans hut, night four of Whale Trail. (Photo: © Joshua Lopez)

But these protected areas form part of a small fraction of South Africa’s land and water that are protected.

Read more: SA needs to preserve the equivalent of Kruger Park each year to meet UN goals

According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, 16.75%, or just more than 20 million hectares of the total 121 million hectares of land in South Africa, is under conservation.

And while, technically, 14.5% of South African waters are considered to be under protection, most of that comprises the large Prince Edward Islands MPA in South Africa’s Southern Ocean territory. If you discount that, only 5.4% of South Africa’s continental marine waters are protected today, which is a fairly new development.

This is still a far cry from the 30×30 target South Africa agreed to at the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2022, which aims to effectively conserve at least 30% of the world’s lands, freshwater and oceans by 2030.

And even when areas are officially protected, enforcement remains a challenge. Just last November, a precedent-setting judgment convicted a Gqeberha-based fishing company for environmental damage caused by fishing inside the De Hoop MPA. This was the first time a company was charged not only with illegal fishing but also with harming the environment – a violation that carries far steeper fines.

Stopping for a swim on day five of Whale Trail.

But conservation doesn’t have to come at the cost of livelihoods. De Hoop demonstrates how protecting the environment can benefit local communities, too. CapeNature employs 14 Overberg residents as part of the Whale Trail team – 12 under cleaning contracts and two for shuttle services.

As Pierre de Villiers, a senior manager at CapeNature, explained to Daily Maverick in the past, protected areas have socioeconomic value, offering opportunities for communities historically reliant on resource harvesting. CapeNature says the Whale Trail not only provides jobs but also upskills workers, develops infrastructure and supports local small businesses.

Read more: Understanding and coming to terms with the socioeconomic value of marine protected areas

For instance, five contractors have signed agreements with CapeNature to eradicate alien invasive trees at De Hoop, a project critical for biodiversity management that also creates more than five local jobs. Additionally, materials for maintenance and cleaning are sourced locally to bolster small businesses. DM

Photographs by Joshua Lopez.

Due to its popularity, availability typically sells out a year in advance. Bookings open on the first working day of each month at 7.30am through CapeNature’s contact centre at 087 087 8250, or by emailing [email protected]. Booking costs: If you book a group of 12, the price starts at R2,300 per person. If you book Portage, it’s R560 per container.

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Our Burning Planet

Shrinking landscapes and seas