The Gap Circuit
2.1 km in about 30 minutes.
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Robberg Nature Reserve is a rocky peninsula reaching into the Indian Ocean 8 km south of Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route. It is run by CapeNature, which describes it as a World Heritage Site, and it draws walkers with trails over cliffs, dunes and beaches. The reserve was established in August 1980 and covers 1.96 square kilometres, with a marine protected area added in 1998. Its rocks go back 120 million years to the break-up of Gondwana. Traces of Stone Age life have been found in some of its caves, and the Nelson Bay Cave interpretive centre explains them. Three circular routes cover the peninsula. The Gap Circuit is 2.1 km and takes about 30 minutes, the Witsand Circuit is 5.5 km and takes about two hours, and the longest reaches the tip. Along the way you pass a huge sand dune, a white beach, blue bays and green slopes, and guides mention a seal colony that you often hear before you see it. CapeNature warns against standing near edges in strong wind, and asks you to stay on the trails and carry a small medical kit. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water and a hat, as parts of the route are rocky and shadeless. Some stretches turn dangerous at high tide, so check the sea. The reserve is 6 km in a straight line from central Plettenberg Bay.
2.1 km in about 30 minutes.
Dropping to a white beach.
Traces of the Stone Age.
8 km south of Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route, Western Cape
The Gap Circuit is the shortest and easiest, at 2.1 km.
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