Walking Keurboomstrand

About Walking Keurboomstrand

Start: At the parking lot at the wooden boardwalk, Keurboomstrand
Finish: back where you started
Duration: about 3 km one way, although you can also head up to the cliff path above the beach
Fitness: easy walking fitness; if you visit the cave then you'll need to be able to climb
Our tip: plan the walk for low tide, and most of it is then on the beach; Enrico restaurant is a good spot for an after-walk meal
Cost: none; you don't even need a permit (all the best things in life are free!)

Keurboomstrand beach is about 10 km from Plettenberg Bay, on the eastern fringe of the bay. If you're really fit, then you can walk all the way to Nature's Valley from Keurboomstrand, but for this hike you remain roughly within 3 km of the village.

The beach is incredibly beautiful, lined with forested headlands and rock formations that will have you itching for your camera, so take it along.

The walk is principally a beach walk, peppered only by black oystercatchers, mussels on the rocks and incredible rock formations. At the end of the main beach you'll just be able to squeeze between a couple of giant rocks, and onto the beach that serves as the Matjes River estuary.

At the river look out for signs up the hill 'To Cave' that take one to the Matjes River Rock Shelter, also known as the strandloper cave. Part of the climb is wooden steps and there are boards about the history of the place.

The beach of the Matjes River estuary is totally unspoilt. Head on a stretch and you'll come across an extraordinary arch. It's known as Annex Rock Arch (some even call it Cathedral Arch), and you'll know you've found it because of the little round 'window' above and the view through the crack out to sea.

Just beyond the arch is a tidal swimming pool perfect for a dip and you'll stumble upon a signboard indicating the start of the Tsitsikamma National Park. Keep going and a kilometre or so later, beyond the board, are incredible rock pools filled with sea life like octopus, crabs, fish and jellyfish.