The Plett Camino

Arrival on Sunday.

In Spanish, camino literally means road, path, track or way. Yet the word has come to mean something far greater than simply a route from one place to another. Most famously associated with the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage routes leading to the shrine of Saint James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela, a camino is as much a journey of the spirit as it is a physical one. Today, people follow these paths for many reasons – seeking spiritual connection, personal reflection or a turning point in their lives, embracing the adventure of discovering a landscape on foot, or simply testing themselves against the miles. Whatever the reason for setting out, the essence remains the same: the journey itself becomes part of the destination.

Slowly the day draws to an end.

South Africa has a growing number of Camino-style pilgrimage routes, although there is no official national register, making an exact number difficult to establish. Among the best known are the Cape Camino – The Way of Table Mountain, a 650–700 km network through mountains, vineyards, forests, beaches and the Cape Peninsula; the Sungazer Pilgrimage in the Eastern Free State, a 211 km circular route with shorter options such as the Sandstone Steps Camino; the Hope Camino, or Pilgrimage of Hope, through the Boland and Overberg, combining walking with Christian faith, history and heritage; the remote Tankwa Camino, crossing the stark landscapes of the Tankwa Karoo; and the Karoo Camino, which celebrates the solitude, history and extraordinary landscapes of the Karoo. Together, they show how the ancient Camino tradition has evolved into something distinctly South African, shaped by our landscapes, histories, communities and stories.

Evening camaraderie at T’Niqua Stable Inn.

Among South Africa’s growing collection of Camino-style pilgrimages, the Plett Camino occupies a rather special place. While routes such as the Tankwa and Baviaans embrace remoteness and physical endurance, and the Hope Camino places greater emphasis on faith and history, the Plett Camino offers a gentler synthesis of nature, hospitality, reflection and adventure. Its approximately 80 km journey from the Garden of Eden near Knysna to Plettenberg Bay passes through indigenous forest, fynbos, farmland and wildlife areas before culminating at the coast. At five days, with comfortable accommodation, luggage transfers and good food along the way, it is considerably more accessible than some of South Africa’s tougher pilgrimages. Yet it retains the essential spirit of a camino: leaving the everyday behind, walking at a slower pace, connecting with the landscape and allowing time for reflection. In many ways, the Plett Camino represents a distinctly Garden Route interpretation of the ancient pilgrimage tradition – less about hardship and more about the journey, the landscape and the experience of being present along the way.

The Forest Walk.

Our CEO Ian Georgeson recently completed the Plett Camino, so we thought we would share the experience with you. 

Arrival – T’Niqua Stable Inn

The journey begins before the walking does. Hikers arrive in Plettenberg Bay and spend the first night at T’Niqua Stable Inn, where the group meets over drinks and dinner. It is deliberately relaxed: an opportunity to meet fellow walkers, meet the guides and leave the outside world behind. The following morning, the bags are handed over to the support team and the real Camino begins.

Enchanting woodland creatures…

Stage 1 – The Jungle Stage

The first stage of the Plett Camino begins in the Garden of Eden/Harkerville area, just inland from the coast, and is a beautiful introduction to the journey. Rather than immediately opening onto countryside, the trail slips beneath the canopy of the ancient indigenous Knysna forest, winding along narrow, leaf-strewn paths where ferns, fungi, mosses and enormous trees create the unmistakable feeling of entering a world far older than ourselves. 

Even giants eventually fall.

Birdsong accompanies the walker through the forest, while tracks, scat and the occasional flicker of movement offer tantalising evidence of wildlife hidden in the undergrowth. After approximately 13 km and four hours of walking, the trail emerges and the mood shifts effortlessly from exertion to indulgence – a swim, a drink, dinner and a comfortable bed. Aptly known as the “Jungle Stage,” it is perhaps the gentlest and most enchanting introduction to the Plett Camino.

Beautiful bracket/shelf fungus, growing on a fallen branch in the Knysna indigenous forest.

Stage 2 – Forest Stage

Day two covers approximately 14 km in four and a half hours, continuing through the Knysna forest before gradually emerging into a more open and varied landscape. 

Emerging into a more open landscape.

Riverine forest gives way to changing vegetation and terrain as the trail eventually reaches Packwood Wine Estate, where the day’s first reward is decidedly civilised – a wine tasting accompanied by cheese, charcuterie and lunch. 

Packwood Wine Estate

From here, the route continues towards the Bitou River Valley, marking one of the most dramatic transitions of the Camino. The dense green embrace of the forest gradually falls away, revealing expansive views towards the Langkloof and Tsitsikamma mountains. 

A little relaxation.

The day’s destination is perched high above the Bitou Valley, where a drink on the terrace, the valley unfolding below and the mountains fading to blue in the late afternoon provide a fitting end to the day’s walk.

Through the Bitou Valley

Stage 3 – The Fynbos Stage

At around 16 km, this is the stage when the Plett Camino begins to feel properly wild. From the Bitou Valley, the trail descends towards the upper reaches of the river system before climbing once again through indigenous forest, with the landscape changing noticeably as the altitude rises. The dense forest gradually gives way to mountain fynbos and open pasture, and suddenly the views stretch across the Garden Route towards the Tsitsikamma Mountains, with Plettenberg Bay somewhere in the distance below. 

The aroma of pine on a damp day is quite delightful.

The repeated rhythm of descent and ascent makes this one of the more demanding days, but the effort is rewarded in the Uplands area, where boots can be exchanged for swimming costumes and the day’s exertion dissolved with a massage, sundowners and dinner. It is a fitting reminder that on the Plett Camino, even the tougher stages come with their own rewards.

A road filled with companionship

Stage 4 – The Queen’s Stage

At approximately 18 km, the Queen’s Stage is the big one – the longest and toughest day of the Plett Camino, but also one of the most memorable. Slowly the trail drops into the Keurbooms River Valley, winding through hills, valleys, indigenous forest and plantations before the inevitable climb out. It is a day of constant change, both in landscape and elevation, with the Camino’s simple rule proving particularly pertinent: what goes down must come up. 

Interacting with a variety of local residents…

Eventually, the trail emerges around The Crags, one of the Garden Route’s most intriguing rural corners, where farms, vineyards, restaurants and wildlife sanctuaries dot the countryside. By now, legs may be weary, but the landscape has provided more than enough distraction to keep spirits high.

Some spectacular scenery.

Stage 5 – The Legendary Coastal Stage

The final stage, officially around 13 km, brings the Plett Camino beautifully full circle, returning to the ocean after four days of forests, fynbos, farms and river valleys. The day begins with coffee or a cappuccino overlooking the sea before the trail heads towards Robberg Peninsula, one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline around Plettenberg Bay and a declared World Heritage Site. 

On Robberg, the sun came out…

The rugged peninsula rises from the ocean in dramatic cliffs and rocky outcrops, with its famous Cape fur seal colony below and the possibility of whales and dolphins offshore. The trail winds across rock and sand and eventually descends towards the beach, until suddenly there is nothing between you and the vastness of the Indian Ocean. 

New friends were made…

The Plett Camino was founded by Iain Bryant, a local Plettenberg Bay resident and former chartered accountant. The idea was conceived in early 2022, shortly after the Covid period, when Bryant was looking for a way to get out of the office and back into nature. He had been inspired by the Camino de Santiago in Spain and by the success of the Hermanus Camino and saw an opportunity to create a similar pilgrimage experience in the Garden Route.

Bryant’s family has longstanding connections with both Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, gave him an intimate knowledge of the area. He brought together that local knowledge with his background in business, organisation and customer-experience design to develop what became the five-day, 80-km Plett Camino. The first Camino took place in April 2023, following months of planning, land-access negotiations and trail development.

A well-earned celebratory beverage…

Iain didn’t simply draw a hiking route and call it a Camino. The route was developed in collaboration with local landowners, SANParks, CapeNature, environmentalists and the local community, with the intention of creating something that would benefit both walkers and the surrounding area.

How does it feel to complete this Camino? Suddenly, almost before you are ready, the Camino is over. Five days and roughly 80 kilometres have carried you from the ancient Knysna forest through fynbos, farms, valleys and mountains to the Indian Ocean. But the kilometres are only part of the journey. It is the people, the stories, the wildlife, the shared meals and those quiet moments when the landscape seems to slow time that stay with you. The Plett Camino may not demand hardship, but it offers something equally valuable – the chance to step away from everyday life, walk at a slower pace and rediscover the simple pleasure of being present. By the time you reach the sea, you realise that the real journey was never simply about getting somewhere, but about everything you discovered along the way.

Jacqui Ikin & The Cross Country Team

INFO BLOCK:

https://plettcamino.com