Waterfall Bluff

About Waterfall Bluff

Between Port St Johns and the Mkambathi Nature Reserve (but closer to the Msikaba River than Port St Johns) is Waterfall Bluff. It is not that easy to reach; one cannot simply drive to a clearly marked lookout point and gaze at it.

Did you know? Waterfall Bluff is a series of near-vertical cliffs south of the Msikaba River. Hikers can get right to the waterfall and even behind the falls.

Reaching it as part of a hike is not that difficult. Depending on how you plan things. There are numerous options. You can do it as part of a seven-day waterfall hike, or as part of the legendary (read: taxing 280 km trail; although you can break it into shorter chunks) Wild Coast Hiking Trail. On the latter, one of the overnight stops is at Waterfall Bluff.

Or you can choose to stay at Mkambathi Nature Reserve (in which case the falls are relatively close), or nearby at Mbotyi, in which case the hike is bout 28 km up the coast (you will need a guide).

At Waterfall Bluff is one of only 19 waterfalls world-wide that fall directly into the sea. There are only two such waterfalls in Africa, apparently. It is no less than a spectacular sight, particularly as, in this case, an overhang provides ringside seats across from the waterfall, the lip of the fall just across and up from one.

A few kilometres walk from the bluff (heading back to Mbotyi, if that is your route) is another geographical phenomenon, a free-standing, vertical rock with its own 'hole in the wall' known as Cathedral Rock (actually the area is full of secret spots, and if you venture on a guided hike, your guide is likely to point out the numerous pools, bluffs and river mouths).

If your guide is worth his salt, he will include the undisclosed Mfihlelo Falls, just a few kilometres away from Waterfall Bluff, another waterfall that falls straight into the ocean (and one that is not registered on the world list of waterfalls that fall into the sea). But don't let anyone else know. It's a secret...