My hiking trail along the coast in winter now on the southern shoreline of Africa, is a truly inspiring experience. You will love this setting, with the thick mist that rolls in from the Indian ocean, especially if you are keen on outdoor sports, like hiking and exploring in nature. This region, called the Garden Route, is an epic spot on the map well worth visiting. It’s easy to find and has a major road connecting you to the bigger cities a few hundred kilometers away.
The long stretch of coastline is dotted with small towns and fishing villages. Some of South Africa’s main holiday resorts are situated here since the climate is the best for local and international visitors. I was able to walk mostly bare foot as the beach sand is so soft and clean all along this coast, with hardly any pollution or litter because there are so few people around, unlike the other tourist hotspots on the planet, where litter is scattered on the beach or in the sea.
This is a continuation of Keurbooms beach, which I have mentioned in previous posts, and today I want to show you a new angle on this long stretch of coastline. I took these photos on a winters day so you can see the lighting has created a monochrome impression overall. The misty setting appeared like a vast deserted stretch of timeless and motionless desert in places.
The sand was white, the sky was white and the sea was white, or grey if you prefer. The rocks appear to be some sort of granite in this particular part of the Keurbooms beach, just outside the town of Plettenberg Bay. Thus the contrast of black against white is quite dramatic. The scene was deserted as usual, except for a lone fisherman on the rocks casting a line out to sea. Of course, the place is not totally deserted. You will find some odd houses dotted along the shoreline in this far end of the beach.
However, many of the houses are empty or closed up until holiday season when the owners return and spend their summer vacation by the sea. For now in winter, the place seems deserted and the lone fisherman is actually a rare exception in this empty part of the planet. You could call it the lonely planet but that name has already been taken. A bit of green adds some color as the thick ground cover grows on the sand and right up to the black rock at the water’s edge.
Of course, it’s usually bright and sunny, with an overwhelmingly clear blue sky and sea contrasting against the white sand. But today’s winter mist has removed most of the color from the scene, except for the lush green vegetation, and so it appears quite different now. Still, the mood is interesting and attractive, especially since it’s not too cold for a winter’s day at the beach. Climbing over the rocks barefoot is not too bad, since I’m used to it after years of practice. You might prefer to wear shoes. I like to contact the earth directly as a health benefit.
Also most of the walk of a few kilometers is on soft white beach sand, so no shoes are necessary and only a small stretch of today’s walk was over any rocks, which divided one part of the beach from the other. There are few things in life quite as uplifting and beneficial for the overall health compared to walking on the beach next to the ocean waves. The ions in the atmosphere that are generated by the breaking waves are very healing and can improve the mood considerably.
The sound of the breaking waves is also soothing. And with no people around, you have the place to yourself without any bother or distraction. It’s actually a millionaire’s setting yet you can access it for free, if you can get here. So be sure to book your flight and make your way to the Garden Route region on the southernmost shoreline of Africa. You will find paradise awaiting you at any time of the year.
(photos my own)