The Walker Bay Diversity Trail

 

Where adventure meets luxury…

The Diversity Trail is based at the magnificent Bellavista Country Place with luxury en-suite bedrooms, a rim-flow pool, delicious meals and spectacular views over Walker Bay. The trail offers daily guided walking excursions to explore the glorious fynbos, forests, dunes, caves, coastline, wines and botanical art of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy.

The accommodation at Bellavista are all large, en-suite and very comfortable but do differ in layout and size and have been priced accordingly.

The trail is a four-day walking adventure – undertaken in pure luxury. A four-night guided walking trail with our knowledgeable FGASA accredited guide. Luxury en-suite accommodation at Bellavista Country Place. Delicious home-cooked meals throughout your stay. A welcome lunch at Stanford Kitchen Restaurant followed by a birding boat trip down the Stanford River. Exclusive access to private trails through Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy’s untouched fynbos and secret forests. A coastal journey along the pristine Walker Bay coastline with a visit to the world-renowned archaeological site at Klipgat Cave. The chance to see an incredible display of the frolicking whales just off the coastline in season. A guided walk through the Lomond Wine Farm vineyards and a tasting of their premium wines. Exclusive tour to the Grootbos Florilegium and Hannarie Wenhold Botanical art gallery at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. And a gala dinner on the final evening with a fynbos botanicals twist!

Trail Details

Trail location

Between Stanford and Gansbaai, off the R43

Nearest city

Closest towns – Stanford & Gansbaai with the tourist hub of Hermanus a 45 minute drive.

Transport options

Away from transport hub: Self-drive or shuttle by arrangement

Trip Duration / Options

Core Trail: 4 nights / 5 days

 

Start / Finish

Start: Bellavista Country Place GPS: 34.507511 S 19.428033 E

Finish: Bellavista Country Place GPS: 34.507511 S 19.428033 E

Daily Time / Distances

Day 1: Short walk through Stanford  2 to 3 hours
Day 2: 10km  / 4 hrs
Day 3: 15km   / 6 hrs
Day 4: 10km / 5 hrs

Day 1 Start 13h00
Day 2 to 4 Start 09h00

Trail Grading

On a grading of Easy – Moderate – Strenuous
This trail would be regarded as Moderate, with the single track path undulating and no steep climbs

 

Physical Fitness

A moderate level of fitness is required

Technical detail / Terrain

Not technical terrain, single path with some jeep tracks.

Accommodation

The accommodation (5 Suites) at Bellavista is luxury; en-suite and very comfortable but do differ in layout and size and have been priced accordingly.

Food Supply / Catering

Accommodation options include breakfast, light lunch & dinner, teas & Coffees.

Logistic support / Guiding

Guided trail, with back up transfers. Accommodation in one location, no luggage transfers required.

Premium Option is guided by fully trained and accredited guides.

Highlights

Access to privately owned land within the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy that is otherwise not accessible to the public.

This area includes magnificent natural landscapes and unique biodiversity including over 1100 species of indigenous plants; 8 indigenous forests; waterfalls; early human cave sites; whale watching and birding hotspots.

High quality guiding which brings the landscapes to life.

Packages integrate hiking with the conservation and community projects in the area.

Authentic, personally hosted farm accommodation

Fresh meals produced from local sources, primarily the Growing the Future Project on Grootbos.

The business supports local conservation and social upliftment projects through partnerships with The Grootbos Foundation; Flower Valley Conservation Trust and the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy.  By hiking the trail, guests contribute directly to the conservation of the region and the upliftment of local communities.

The founder of the trail, botanist, Sean Privett has researched the biodiversity of the region and been instrumental in developing a variety of conservation programmes that the hikers experience during their journey.  The guests receive a signed copy of his book which is a field guide of the area and the culmination of 15 years of fynbos research.

Other Activities

Wine Tasting with award winning Lomond Wines

This product is far more than just a traditional hiking trail as it has been carefully designed to integrate the best of the natural environment with the fascinating social and conservation programmes of the region.

Fauna & Flora

The Diversity trail takes hikers along a beautiful stretch of trail through coastal and mountain fynbos and remote forests.  Highlights along the trail include fascinating visits to local archaeological sites, learning about the exceptional diversity, threats and ecological wonders of the fynbos and forests.

Climate

Rainy winters, hot dry summers.

Seasonality & Best Time Year

April – June; September – November

Group Size

Minimum of 4 and a max of 10 (we do try and accommodate single hikers with mixed groups) and also go up to 14 on request.

Price P/P

From R11500 to R13500 per person sharing.

Note: While we endeavor to keep prices up to date, they are an indication only subject to variation without notice. Prices must be confirmed with the service provider

R

Price Includes

Accommodation, meals & guide.

Alcoholic beverages and soft drink excluded

Trail Operator

Diversity Trails

Here you'll find any scheduled trails that you can join. Trails may be booked up to one year in advance, so be sure to scroll ahead using the arrows on the left to find if there are any available.  The trail operator page will also list any scheduled trails.

If you would like to enquire about different dates, please fill in the form below.  Trails are initiated when someone makes an enquiry, and go ahead once the minimum numbers are confirmed.

Scheduled Walker Bay Diversity Trails

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Walker Bay Diversity Trail enquiry

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