Hiking trails in Montagu and Surrounds you should try

3 min read

Montagu is known for its beautiful natural surroundings and the best way to experience them is by hiking! The town offers walks with different difficulty levels, all with gorgeous views and abundant fauna and flora. Feel free to ask our receptionists for recommendations or choose from one of our favourites below:

Loverswalk – Easy to Moderate

This trail is also known as Mayor’s Walk and is an easy 500 metres. You’ll walk along the Keisie riverbanks, with Kanonkop above you. This walk offers spectacular views and can be extended to join the Badskloof trail. Starting at the upper end of Barry Street, the walk takes you through Joubertpark and should take around 35 minutes to complete.

Badskloof Trail – Moderate

This 2.2-kilometre trail starts at the famous hot springs of Montagu and runs to the Eyssenhuis/Ou Meul at Joubertpark. Taking an hour to complete, this route has beautiful rock formations and many different bird species for the birdwatchers among us to spot. Please ensure that you have paid the entrance fee and have a permit, which you can obtain at the entrance to Joubertpark.

Aasvoëlkrans Trail – Moderate

This hike is filled with lots of natural plant and animal life and takes a bit more than an hour to complete. The trail begins on Riebeeck Street and stretches 3.2 kilometres. The walk to the lookout point is 430 metres – here you’ll get stunning views of the Cogmanskloof, Fort Sydney, and the tunnel you most likely drove through when you entered Montagu! For parts you will also be able to see the town of Montagu stretching in front of you. This hike is also popular with families, as it is fairly manageable.

Cogmanskloof Trail – Moderate

Cogmanskloof trail is 12.1 kilometres long and can be completed within 4 to 6 hours. The route is relatively easy after the first two kilometres, which is steep. The summit is 690 metres and offers blissful views of Montagu and the surrounding mountains and rivers. Be sure to look out for the rock formations at the top, as well as many of the different native flower species. Try and spot the national flower of South Africa, the protea! Entrance fees applicable.

Bloupunt Trail – Hard

This hike can take anywhere from 5 to 9 hours to complete, but we recommend putting the whole day aside for this 15.6-kilometre hike, as it is quite challenging. The trail starts at the Ou Meul and rises over 1200 metres to the summit. From here you can see the towns of Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor, and Robertson, and the surrounding astounding natural surroundings. As with all of Montagu’s hiking trails, Bloupunt offers amazing rock formations and abundant native flora and fauna. There are also a bat cave and three waterfalls that can be visited on this trail, either as detours to the hike or as individual hikes themselves. These are, however, on their own routes deviating from the main route, so be sure to watch out for the signage. The Silwerstroom Waterfall trail is the first section of the Bloupunt trail, which is moderately challenging and more family-friendly than the full Bloupunt trail. Refill points for water are about halfway up to the summit, and it’s recommended that you fill your water bottles here, as there are no further opportunities to do so at the summit. Entrance fees and permit required.

We hope that you’ll love exploring Montagu and all of the stunning natural surrounds it offers. Remember the golden rules of hiking: take along water and snacks if necessary; wear sunscreen and a hat and bring along something warm; don’t hike alone and make sure to tell someone where you’re going (our reception staff are happy to note down where you are going!); check for the latest weather updates; and make sure that you have the most recent trail information. We’ve indicated, where applicable, whether you need a permit and whether there are entrance fees. This can, however, change, so please be sure to double check beforehand – once again, feel free to ask at our reception!