Shipwreck hiking trail near the Cape of Good Hope

This easy circular route, starting and ending at Olifantsbos, is suitable for all ages.

Set in a tranquil area at the Cape of Good Hope, this hike has so much to offer in the way of history, beautiful rock formations, fynbos, game animals and birdlife.

The remains of two shipwrecks; the Thomas T. Tucker and the Nolloth, and a military observation post dating back to WW2 are highlights along the way.

The story of the wrecks
Dutch born, J.K Van Der Luit, clearly remembers the day the Nolloth, his family’s coaster, was shipwrecked at Cape Point. “In 1963, we left Cape Town for Durban in stormy weather. We sailed painfully slow. At 1am or 2am that morning we started shipping water; and after about an hour the bilge pump gave up. Within two hours, we had taken on two metres of water. The vessel was very sluggish and we all went to the wheelhouse where, miraculously, and with the engine still running, my father was able to steer the vessel clear of the coast.

“All we could do was pray that the engine wouldn’t stall. I will never forget the sound of the ship smacking the beach.”

This, now rusty, piece of family history can still be seen partially submerged beneath the sand along the shipwreck trail at Olifantsbos.