I live in Gauteng, which means that I practically never see the ocean. Luckily for me, my Dad wanted to visit Cape Town and I got to tag along and visit my best friend. It also presented me with the opportunity to do my very first seaside hike.
And I was most definitely not disappointed.
Let's take a look at some things you might like to know before your visit:
Entry Fees
Entrance to this walkway is completely free. You'll want to have some money with you for the train, if you plan on taking it, and if you plan on going into Kalk Bay for some shopping or to grab lunch. There are quite a few places you might like to visit, like coffee shops, antique shops, jewelry stores and surfing shops.
Parking
You won't be able to park right by the walkway. Instead, you might need to leave your car at Surfer's Corner in Muizenberg and then head over to the walk. Don't worry, you're car will most definitely be safe, as Surfer's Corner is basically jam packed with restaurants and people frequent it throughout the entire day.
Pets
Good news. The Muizenberg to St James Coastal Walkway does allow dogs, as long as they stay on their leashes and you clean up behind them.
Railings
As this is a seaside walk, the path can be quite slippery throughout certain times of the day. Make sure to be extra careful when navigating sections of the sidewalk that are not lined with railings.
The Muizenberg to St James Coastal Walk is around 3,4 kilometers and has little to no elevation gain. The majority of the walk is a concrete sidewalk bordering the beach, some of it framed with a railing and some not, so be sure to take extra care. There are sections where you can leaves the concrete sidewalk to walk onto the soft white sand or pas through tunnels to get to the Main Road and head into Kalk Bay to do some shopping and grab something to eat.
Rocks line the first park of the walkway and if you're lucky enough to walk back that way right before high tide (like we did), you might even feel the spray of saltwater as the waves crash against the rocks.
This walkway is dog friendly, as long as the dog is on a leash and doesn't bother other walkers. The walkway is also wide enough for a stroller, so the entire family can enjoy this outing together. Sneakers are more than ideal for this hike, as it's more a leisurely stroll than anything else.
St James Beach sure is a sight to see with it's colourful beach huts and tidal pool. The beach huts serve as changing rooms, so you can take you bathing suit with you and cool off in the tidal pool.
In total, we walked around 7 kilometers, as we followed this walkway to Kalk Bay and all the way back. From the Coastal Walk way, we took a tunnel to the Main Road where we visited The Brass Bell and Cape to Cuba. It's a good walk for beginners, mostly because you don't focus on the distance at all, to taken with the beautiful view.
On to the scoring. The rating for the waterfall for this trail, will basically be replaced with the ocean, being a large body of water and all that. Bridges and crossings will still be significant seeing as they provide a means to navigate the rocks lining the shore.
Let's look at the Boots Hike-ability rating for this walkway:
In total, the Muizenberg to St James Coastal Walk receives a score of 29 / 30. It was really difficult not to give it an absolutely perfect score as every moment on this walk took my breath away.
Take a look at some pictures of the walk:
And that's it for our very first seaside walk. Visited the Muizenberg to St James Walkway before? Let us know all about you experience.
Until next time, stay safe and happy hiking!
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