Otter Trail

Opened in 1968, the Otter is the oldest official hiking trail in South Africa and still the one people plan a year around - bookings open twelve months in advance and the twelve daily places go quickly. It runs about forty-two kilometres west from Storms River Mouth to Nature's Valley over five days, with four overnight huts, and the distance is misleading: the route climbs in and out of every river gorge on the coast, so the daily profile is relentless up and down rather than a coastal stroll. The crux is the Bloukrans River on day four, which must be crossed near low tide - hikers time the day around the tide table and swim their packs across in dry bags when the water is high. The trail is named for the Cape clawless otter, which lives along these rivers and is seen occasionally. Dolphins and whales pass offshore, and the huts sit above the sea.

What you actually see

• The 1968 trail - the oldest formal hiking route in the country, still the benchmark.
• The Bloukrans crossing - a river forded near low tide, packs floated in dry bags.
• The gorge profile - constant climbing in and out of river valleys, not a flat coast walk.
• The four huts - overnight cabins set above the sea along the route.

When to go

February to May and September to November. Five days. Book a year ahead - twelve people start per day.

Honest expectations

Booking is genuinely a year in advance and cancellations are rare. Bloukrans must be timed to the tide; people have drowned attempting it in high water. Rain makes rock sections dangerous and rivers unfordable. You carry all food. Fitness matters more than the distance suggests.

Nearby

Storms River Mouth is the start; Nature's Valley is the finish.