Alexandria Hiking Trail
Hiking the two-day Alexandria Hiking Trail is an unforgettable experience that leads hikers through three distinctly different environments ranging from forest to coastal dunes to seashore. No other trail in the country can boast this diversity, as you trek through forests, walk along spectacular beaches, clamber up the desert-like dunes and stand aloft on cliffs crumbling into the sea.
The Alexandria Hiking Trail is a 36km circular trail, with the option of either two or three-night stays. The first day is approximately 19.5km, while the second day is 16.5km. Hikers will require a moderate to good level of fitness, especially for the dune crossing. It is advised to tackle the dune field crossing early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.
The two fully-equipped Langebos Huts, situated within the forest, are the base huts for the trail and it is recommended that hikers stay at these huts the night before leaving for the first day. The Woody Cape Hut is situated at the end of the first day’s hike, which overlooks the sea and Bird Island. This hut is equipped with 12 beds, with mattresses, in two bedrooms. It has a rainwater tank for drinking and cooking water only. Toilets are provided.
A minimum of three hikers and a maximum of 12 hikers are allowed on the trail per day. The trail will not be booked exclusively for one group unless they are 12 in number.
The trail costs R234 per person per night. Hikers also need to pay the daily conservation (entry) fee.
Accommodation & Facilities
The two Langebos Huts, situated within the forest, are the base huts for the trail and it is recommended that hikers stay at these huts the night before leaving for the first day. The huts are equipped with 6 beds each, with mattresses, a hot water shower, a toilet and a braai area. Each unit has an open plan lounge and kitchen, bathroom with toilet and shower and two bedrooms (one with double bed and the other with two single beds). A further two people can be accommodated on mattresses on request, but only for groups undertaking the hiking trail – not for overnight guests.
The Woody Cape Hut is situated at the end of the first day’s hike, which overlooks the sea and Bird Island. This hut is equipped with 12 beds, with mattresses, in two bedrooms. It has a rainwater tank for drinking and cooking water only. Toilets are provided.
Bookings
A minimum of three hikers and a maximum of 12 hikers are allowed on the trail, per day. The trail will not be booked exclusively for one group unless they are 12 in number.
Bookings for the trail are administered through Camp Matyholweni:
- Tel: +27 (0)41 4680916/8
- Fax: +27 (0)41 4680949
- Email: [email protected]
Trail base office: Woody Cape office
- Telephone: +27 (0)64 044 2980
- Mobile: +27 (0)78 952 4280 (Please be patient as the cellphone signal in the area is poor)
The Alexandria dune field
The Alexandria dune field is considered to be the best example in South Africa of the bare coastal dune field, often referred to as a dune sea. It offers a unique and extraordinary wilderness resource that only a few other landscapes in South Africa provide. It is the largest and least degraded coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere. The dune field imparts a unique experience of solitude, infinity and spatial freedom.
The Alexandria dune field has a surface area of about 15 800ha, stretching over 80km in length, with a width of up to 5km in places. The dune system is extremely dynamic with sand being continually blown in, building up and traversing inland. Some 375,000 cubic tons of sand are deposited into the dune fields each year.
History
The walk was first opened in 1985 by the Department of Forestry when Woody Cape functioned as the Alexandria State Forest. In 1987, Cape Nature Conservation took over this area as the Woody Cape Nature Reserve. In 2002, South African National Parks assumed management of the area, as part of the expansion of the Addo Elephant National Park.