Alexandria Trail | Eastern Cape

Nestled in the Eastern Cape, home of the legends is the Alexandria trail. Think forest, think dunes, think the ocean. All encapsulated to gift you a lifetime of experience. Everything about this trail transported us deeper into the world of wander.

A 2 days trail, spanning approximately 45km. The previous commentaries sold it VERY short having it summed up to 36km. Day 1 was 24km, followed by 21km on the second day tracked both by smart watches and mobile phones. Thoroughly marked trail with black footprints on the first day and red footprints on the second day which afforded minimal chances of getting lost. After the heavy rainfalls, the trail was damp with almost no footprints visible to give us confidence that we were on the right path.

Day 1: Alexandria State Forest - "Forest meets the Ocean, meets the dune."

The trail permit is issued at the Alexandria State Forest section of Addo Elephant National Park, the same place were the hike starts. With less than a kilometre in, the trail falls deep into the indigenous lush forest. It’s a long stretch for about 8km until crossing the dairy farms. The trail continues along the gravel road bordered by grasslands and passing Woodlands diary and Woody Cape Nature resort respectively. Shortly thereafter, the ocean drew closer preceded by the wooden staircases and a path leading to the ocean. You have to stop and take in the view from the top and read through the information board about dunes on the move and sandy shores.

Cascading down to the beach is a rope that makes for easy descend into the dunes. Prior arriving at the ocean, we were ushered by the songbirds and ambient noise from the ocean. This definitely got us excited to trek even faster. You would swear that you are in a foreign country or in some wild movie or better yet living in dreamland. An unpopular quiet trail that seems to not have had many feet paving the way as it was overgrown. On the day of our hike there was one team, a group of 4 people ahead of us that had started much earlier. The Ocean is also used as fishing spot for which a permit is required. We treated ourselves to lunch overlooking the oceans flows for a good hour. A much-needed break after the hurried first half.

Parallel to the ocean there were the dramatic cliffs of the dunes on the right and caves layered like a book, a book of proverbs to which we named. Shortly after there’s a rope to help to get to the ladder which lead to the top of the dunes. It’s a magnificent view overlooking the ocean, the thin wind blew the dunes which created timeless landscapes and gave an illusion that the dunes are infinite. We were fortunate to catch the sunset from the top of the dunes, it affirmed that sunsets are truly the epitome of nature's assurance. Further on, the trail winded deep into the milkwoods, which was the final stretch to the hut. The hut is a well-equipped two bedrooms with 6 bunk beds in each room, a kitchen, dining area and a balcony overlooking the ocean. It was clean and decently furnished with essentials. Outside is a tank filled with rainwater reserved only for dish washing and drinking purposes. The rest rooms could do with some servicing, but fit for purpose.

Day 2: Woody Cape hut - "Dunes on the move."

The second day of the trail resumes at the Woody Cape hut. You will definitely be awakened by the waves from the ocean which offered a soothing feeling and made it hard to depart. Although it was advised to tackle the dunes fields early to avoid the heat, the weather gods were on our side as it was overcast which then afforded us a late start to enjoy the views from the balcony. A cup of coffee on the deck, decorated with the whiteness of the sky that seemed to match the ocean, vanishing the beginning or end of the sky. It dawned on us how much geographical lottery we had cashed in. The trail quickly ascended into the milkwoods and soon after into one of the world’s largest active coastal dune fields. We spotted some duikers/bushbuck on the dunes and what seemed like snake trails on the sand dunes.

More than half of day two is spent being sink holed in the dunes. At the end of the dune fields, the ocean appeared to be close only to walk on the opposite direction into the indigenous forest and followed by dairy farm crossing. We came across a herdsman who was so helpful to point us in the right direction when we were not certain of the route to take. It was a hard steep climb to the top, still with the ocean sounds in the background but disappeared soon after. It became apparent that we were exiting the majestic world back into reality. It was a long stretch to the base camp with multiple turns which drained all appetite for small talks. Excitement drew back the minute we noticed the ranger’s houses and realizing that we had reached the end. It is said that no other trail in the country can boast about the diversity of the trail as much as Alexandria trail, "the desert-like dunes, stand aloft cliffs crumbling into the sea, trek through high forest, and along spectacular beaches.” This is by far the best offering.

Essentials for the hike: Backpack, Protective hiking apparel, Flees blanket, Sleeping bag, Hiking poles, Gaiters, Sunscreen, Power bank, Raincoat/poncho, Emergency kit, Food and Snacks.

Booking info:

Alexandria trail is part of Addo Elephant National Park and bookings are done through Camp Matyholweni.

Email: matyholweni@sanparks.org

Tel: +27 (0)46 6530601

Conservation fee (subject to change): R 90.00 pp

Accommodation/Activity fee (subject to change): R 210.00 pp

Trail difficulty: Moderate

Minimum 3, max 12 hikers per day.

Images by @deenthate (Instagram handle)