Camino Sunset
What does your money buy?
Embarking on the Plett Camino is like stepping into a storybook where the pages are filled with lush forests, river crossings, scenic vistas and warm hospitality. At a price of R12 900 per person sharing, this five-day, five-night adventure offers a unique blend of hiking, comfort, challenges and surprises along the way through some of the most pristine areas surrounding Plettenberg Bay.
Accommodation: Comfortable farm-style lodges with en-suite bathrooms, ensuring you rest in comfort after each day’s adventure.
Culinary Experiences: All meals and drinks are included, from breakfasts and lunches designed to energise you for the day’s hike to sundowners, snacks and dinners to reward a hard days hiking.
Guided Hiking: Expert guides lead you in groups of up to 12 hikers, providing not just safety but also enriching the hike with knowledge about the area’s ecology, history, and culture.
Slackpacking: Who wants to carry all their luggage. We do that for you and your luggage arrives in your room even before you get there, so all you carry is a day pack, making the hike accessible even for those not used to heavy backpacking.
Unique Activities: From wine tastings to game drives and coffee stops, each day offers something special to enhance your experience.
After each day you’ll enjoy a pool, warm showers, drinks and a home-cooked meal, before relaxing around the fireplace and retiring to bed with comfortable beds and crisp linen to rest for the day ahead. Each room has an en-suite bathroom and sleeps a maximum of 2 people. No more cold showers, tuna sachets, sleeping bags and bunk beds !
What do you get each day?
Night 1: Meet your team !
We gather at an old-style horse ranch just outside Plettenberg Bay for our first evening where we meet all your fellow travellers and the Plett Camino Team. This is followed by drinks and dinner and a full breakfast the next morning to prepare you for the trip ahead.
Day 1: Into the Garden of Eden
Your journey begins at the aptly named Garden of Eden, where you’re introduced to the tranquillity of the indigenous forest. The first day’s hike through unspoiled wilderness sets the tone for what’s to come.
What You Get:
- A tranquil start along single paths through the ancient Knysna forest.
- Comfortable overnight stay in a farmhouse-style lodges with a pool, fireplace, welcome drinks and snacks and home cooked meals.
Day 2: Through the Heart of Nature
Hiking Day 3
The trail on day two dives deeper into the forest, crossing streams and ascending through varied terrain. Lunchtime brings a welcome respite and special treat of a wine tasting and mouthwatering lunch at a local vineyard. Here you will be able to kick back before completing the final few kilometres to your lodge for the night overlooking the Bitou River Valley.
What You Get:
- A slightly longer and more challenging trail showcasing the changing biomes of the region.
- Your first wine tasting and top-star culinary experience.
- Overnighting at a new lodge, with a vibrant hostess and complete with sundowners over the stunning Bitou Valley followed by a hearty dinner.
Day 3: The Upland Experience
This day takes you down the valley and across the Bitou River, before climbing up the other side to the Uplands, a lush strip of farming land across the Bitou River to the north. The hiking distance is slightly longer than day two, but the landscape varies dramatically offering stunning panoramic vistas towards the Langkloof and Tsitsikamma Mountains to the north and Plettenberg Bay far in the distance to the South. For those with weary limbs, a swimming pool and massage await before sundowners, snacks and dinner.
What You Get:
- A stunning early morning hike through the fynbos and proteas, with the indigenous forest below.
- A harder day on the trails with a few hills to test the fitness.
- A massage under the trees or in your room depending on the weather
- Top class accommodation in a well-established farm-style lodge
- Sundowners and a wholesome dinner to prepare you for the big stage on Day 4.
Day 4: A Game Drive and More
Game Drive
The fourth day begins a game drive across the Plett Game Reserve, adding a wildlife component to your journey. The hike back to civilization is challenging but invigorating, with a climb offering one of the trip’s most memorable views. Your challenge for the day is to sink down into the Keurbooms river valley and up the other side before making your way through the forests to the Kay and Monty vineyards in the Crags.
What You Get:
- An exciting game drive will a few of the big 5, plains game and many other species
- A challenging hike through indigenous and forest terrain
- A wine tasting and snacks before winding your way to the fifth nights’ accommodation
- An all you can eat pizza evening at our next lodge in the care of our jovial host and hostess before retiring to your top star accommodation to prepare for the last day.
Day 5: The Grand Finale
Celebratory Lunch
The final day is the pinnacle of the Camino experience, leading you back towards civilization through wild fynbos and untouched indigenous forest down into a river valley towards the Keurbooms River. What goes down must come up, and the climb towards the final stretch is challenging but rewarding as you arrive at a surprise venue for cappuccinos before the final stretch down to the Keurbooms. The Camino concludes with a farewell lunch, where stories and new friendships are cemented before you part ways.
What You Get:
- A scenic and reflective final hike on unique untouched tracks
- A memorable farewell lunch at a top Plett restaurant over looking the estuary.
- The satisfaction of completing a unique journey of 5 days, 5 nights and 80km.
Conclusion:
For your investment, the Plett Camino offers more than just a hike; it’s a comprehensive experience of the beauty of the greater Plettenberg Bay region from the pristine coastline, to the forests, rivers and valleys and back again. You’ll return home with breathtaking photographs and stories but also a deeper appreciation for the environment and a sense of achievement from having walked this beautiful path. Whether you’re seeking solitude, adventure, or a way to connect with nature and others, the Plett Camino delivers an unforgettable journey.
Get in touch with us if you need more information on www.plettcamino.com
See you all soon and BUEN CAMINO
The Plett Camino Team !
Testimonials from our clients who have walked the Plett Camino
The Plett Camino MUST be on the top of your bucket to do list. It is well so organized and my hubby and I can highly recommend it. Thank you for an amazing Caminoit will definitely not be our last . Dave and Pam – 2024.
A Fantastic Trip – The Camino was a bucket-list item we can now tick off our list. The whole experience was made special by the sense of brother/sisterhood we experienced after each day’s walk. We were so fortunate to hike with a super group of people and will carry the memory of the friendships we made and paths we took with us into the future.
Marinda and Paul – 2024
Just a big thank you. I have such good memories from my camino. Your staff and hosts were amazing. Thanks for everything. It was an unforgettable experience. It could not have been any better. It was truly awesome.
Lynn – April 2024