Hiking

Cape St. Blaize Trail. The scenic cliff-top Cape St. Blaize Trail affords memorable views of the crashing waves below as you meander 13.5 km (8.4 miles) from the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse at the Point to Dana Bay. The trail requires a reasonable level of fitness and it's advised not to tackle it alone. The Point, Mossel Bay, Western Cape. www.visitmosselbay.co.za.

Oystercatcher Trail. The guided, catered Oystercatcher Trail offers the best of both worlds, providing a multiday hiking experience along the beach and over rocky shorelines while you carry only a day pack. The trail starts in Mossel Bay, with the first day spent on the lovely cliff-top Cape St. Blaize Trail, and continues to the mouth of the Gouritz River. Nights are spent in a guest house or a thatched cottage, where delicious traditional food is prepared for you on open fires. Knowledgeable guides point out birds and plants and discuss local history and customs along the way. Walking on the beach can be hard if the tide is in, but most people of average fitness should manage. A typical trip is four days and five nights but shorter hikes of one or two days can be arranged. Sandpiper Safaris, Boggoms Bay, Western Cape. 044/699–1204; www.oystercatchertrail.co.za.