St Blaize Hiking Trail — Attraction in George

One of my favourite hiking trails along the coast, the St Blaize trail is filled with scenic views of the Indian Ocean and on occasion some marine, bird and small critter life. The hike is over 13km one-way. It is not a round-trip, so be sure to arrange for transport to pick you up at Dana Bay, where the hike ends. The hike follows along the plateau's edge, where cliffs fall dramatically into the ocean. Be warned that there are no railings along the route, and in wet conditions the rocks can be slippery. So take extra precaution and if you are planning to hike the route with children, explain clearly that they are not to go to the edges, or try to take selfies at the edges. That said the trail, if you follow the top route, does not run right next to the cliff's edges, but in some places it does get pretty close. Check the weather before you go - couple of years back friends and I hiked the trail knowing that a cold front was moving in. It got to us about 3/4 in, and a thick mist enveloped the route. At one point we missed a trail marker and wandered way off-route. What would have taken us about 4 hours to complete took nearly double that, and we had no cellphone reception (so calling and GPS was out). We eventually found our way back - but we were sogging wet and quite chilled. So just check the weather - yr.no has very accurate weather for the area. Another thing to check for is the randomly flying golf balls - yes. Golf balls. Pinnacle Point Golf Estate even went so far as to put warning signs up, so just watch for small, white incoming projectiles. To wrap it up - St Blaize is a fantastic hike and beginners to advanced can do it. Arrange transport to meet you at the end location, and I'd advise taking some snacks with you and enough water, as there are no freshwater streams along the route. Just in case, take a light rain-jacket or windbreaker. Don't wander too close to the cliff edges, and look out for the trail markers. Lastly, take a camera or phone for pics - truly stunning sights...

more at (insta/pulse_elevated): The St Blaize Trail nestles along West Cape coast and connects Dana Bay to Mossel Bay. It is not a simple hike for most people, there is no steep hills or dangerous cliffs, but the summer sun can really zap away your energy away on the 17km hike and sometimes the trail marks are not visible and you’ll end up on a golf course😅 Along the way though, you’ll find dolphins, dassies, snacks and even an antelope if you are lucky. All the wonderful views of the ocean and the ancient cavs where renowned archaeological sites with early evidence for modern human behaviour exists will make you forget about the 5 hours under the hot sun. There is also a few nice areas where you can do some simple meditation while listening to the sound of the ocean...

I did this hike back in 98/99 and it was absolutely beautiful then.Wild,untamed, a great way to get out of civilisation for a few hours with caves and rockpools to explore.

Did it yesterday after all those years and while the section from the Lighthouse to the edge of Pinnacle Point is still beautiful...the sense of being in nature is lost once you reach the big houses and developments lining the coast.The magic and beauty of my previous hike here was gone. When you enter the Golf estate it feels like you're no longer on a hike but rather on a walk through the golf course. That's why I'm giving this hike a 3-star rating.

Most of the area's original beauty has been RUINED in the name of money and...