Take a walk on the wild side and experience all the untouched, remote land and friendly locals of the region with a Wild Coast hike.
Experience one of South Africa’s hidden gems with a walk on the wild side – a Wild Coast hike.
The Wild Coast is one of South Africa’s hidden gems, tucked away in the Eastern Cape province, and home to some of the country’s largest number of forest and grassland species. The Wild Coast has so much to offer visitors and one of the very best ways to experience the region is with a Wild Coast hike – an opportunity to get up close and personal with everything the Wild Coast has to offer.
The Wild Coast is a coastal section of the Eastern Cape spanning from Mzamba, just South of Port Edward at the Wild Coast Sun Hotel and Casino, all the way through to East London. There is not one specific coastal road along the Wild Coast, so road travellers are detoured back and forth from coastal roads back inland to main roads, as they travel through the region.
The region is highly popular for its spectacular and adventurous hiking trails that attract new and experienced hikers each year. A Wild Coast hike being one of the best ways to explore the unspoiled coastal region – an intimate experience of the sweeping bays, untouched beaches, rocky climbs and hidden lagoons.
For visitors who seek the opportunity to encounter the most rural lands of South Africa, the Wild Coast is home to the former Transkei regions – the Xhosa homelands which were incorporated into the Eastern Cape following the abolishment of Apartheid. Green rolling hills with rondavel huts dotted along the seemingly untouched landscapes, this is the heartland of the local residents… an absolute delight to both South African and international visitors to see.
There are a multitude of Wild Coast hiking trails, self-guided as well as professionally guided, depending on the groups’ hiking experience and requirements. Hiking trails range from short and easy 6km trails, through to long challenging hikes that can cover over 60km in total – these include overnight stays at various slack packer accommodation, or even the local villages.
Wild Side Hiking is just one of the company’s offering guided hiking trips along the Wild Coast and offers incredibly diverse hiking experiences to ensure guests get a true ‘Wild Coast experience’. Offering Five-day long hiking trips, Wild Side Hiking takes guests on a 60km long hike from Port St John’s to Coffee Bay, with incredibly unique overnight stays in the local rural villages.
Hikers get a first-hand experience of Xhosa daily village life, food and customs during their stop overs, and cross a total of 6 rivers – some by foot, some by raw boat! Brave it on your own and meet a new group of people hiking together, or gather all your friends and embark on one of the most fascinating Wild Coast hikes there is.
There are a range of Wild Coast hiking trails that draw visitors from across the country… The Wild Coast Meander Hiking Trail is one the region’s most popular. The 54km of hiking trail begins in Kob Inn and finishes in Morgan’s Bay and promises raw, untouched and wild terrain with views of shipwrecks as well as warm, welcoming encounters with the locals.
The Wild Coast Amble Trail begins at Qorlora River mouth and takes an easy route down the Wild Coast ending at Morgan Bay. The route is 56km long and follows the Strandloper Hiking Trail, offering overnight slack packer accommodation and exploration of magical tidal pools and interactions with the friendly locals.
The Wild Coast Pondo Walk is another hiking highlight in the region. Renowned for being one of the most inaccessible areas of the Wild Coast, the Northern Pondoland promises some of the most untouched and unscathed areas of South Africa. Beginning at the Mtamvuna River near Port Edward and coming to a close at the mighty Umzimvubu in Port John’s – this area is known for being uniquely rugged and remote. Hikers fortunate enough to pass through this region of the Wild Coast have the opportunity to see hidden waterfalls tucked away into rugged mountainsides, pristine estuaries and numerous abandoned shipwrecks.
The Wild Coast has some of the most remote and untouched landscapes in South Africa, and promises visitors a unique local experience. Walking this land is an opportunity that not every person will accomplish in their life time, and those who are fortunate enough to do so, will remain forever changed by the experiences that a Wild Coast hike has to offer.
Ranging from the pristine landscapes, untouched beaches, hidden gems that take the form of unseen waterfalls and estuaries, through to the interactions with the local Xhosa people and being able to experience local village life. The experiences of the Wild Coast are so unique that people travel from miles away to get the opportunity to enjoy them first hand.
Tick off a bucket list experience by getting up close and personal with the Wild Coast and all the experiences the region has to offer. Visit our website for more information on companies offering guided hiking tours, as well as information on the regions hiking trails.
