This is the thriving Garden Route town of Mossel Bay and it’s where the Europeans first made their acquaintance with Southern Africa, but this stretch of coastline plays a significant role in African history as well. In fact, it’s significant to each every human being on the planet because experts now believe that this is where modern man first appeared. What a place to commence my South African adventure!

 

Over two days and 35 kilometers, my first walk sticks to a coast that can shed light on many areas of South African history. Today the vast majority of visitors reach this coastline via Cape Town before moving east to the warmer Indian Ocean weather of the Garden Route. For Mossel Bay, my trail heads west along great cliffs and beaches, past modern developments and deserted sand*, and ends at the notorious rocky headland of F*. So before I set off for my own adventure, let’s take a bird’s eye view of the route I’ll be following. From the headland of Mossel Bay, my walk kicks off in dramatic style. For 15 kilometers, there’s a cliff top path full of the views and the famous fynbos vegetation that’s unique to this corner of South Africa.