A coastal Table Mountain hiking trail
One of the most spectacular hiking trails on the Table Mountain chain is sometimes called the mini otter trail. It follows the Atlantic coast from Hout Bay to Llandudno. The route involves some scrambling so is not for the faint hearted. It is also a good 5 hour hike with very little in the way of shade or fresh water so you need to carry plenty of water and have a good hat and sunblock. A final warning, this hike is best done at low tide. Much of the trail is under water at high tide.
You need to park in the main parking area by Mariners Wharf in Hout Bay. Then follow the road behind the factories and follow your nose to the beginning of the trail. Initially you have to pick you way along a rocky beach and through the dunes on sometimes undistinguished paths. About 45 minutes after leaving the road you come to some large rocks that look out onto Seal Island. It is worth a break here to admire the view and watch the tourist boats float around the island.
From here the route takes you along the shore beneath the cliffs of Capteinspiek and Karbonkelberg. Sometimes along rocky beaches and sometimes scrambling up the slopes on small paths.
The path at times leads away from the beach
Although you cannot really get lost you can lose the path and find yourself reaching a sheer cliff. In which case retrace you path and try again.
You can find yourself with no where to go!
Coming around Duikerpunt has some quite difficult scrambling over some large rocks and then leads up to a height of about 80 metres where the path follows around the coast. Although the cliffs here are less sheer, the path is quite loose and crumbly. This is the area where anyone with a fear of heights may suffer a bit.
Scrambling down some rocks at Duikerpunt
There are numerous shipwrecks along this stretch of coast. One of the most visible being the Bos 400. This floating crane was wrecked in 1994 when the rope to a tug boat that was towing it snapped during a storm. This wreck is well above the water and close to the shore. The rocks above offer a good spot for a well deserved lunch break.
The rocks above the Boss 400 wreck are a good place for lunch
From here the path leads you through quite thick vegetation. At times you need to crawl on your hands and knees through the sandy soil. It then leads steeply up to the rocket house. Here the ground is also loose and it is a hot and sometimes frustrating climb. From the top you take a left turn towards the sea and down a steep path back to beach level. This path leads you to a lookout point to see another shipwreck. The Harvest Capella. However you want to take a right turn before you get to the lookout point. The path now takes you along the coast, weaving between trees and large rocks before emerging onto the famous South African nudist beack at Sandy Bay.
The end of the hike. On Sandy Bay
