A new 38km Beach-to-Beach Adventure Hike was launched by the South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) last week.

The hike extends from Port Edward to St Michael’s beaches. The launch also coincides with the annual Sardine Run and Humpback whale migration.

“We’re continuing to find ways for visitors to uncover the incredible natural assets found along the paradise of the Zulu Kingdom, and the launch of the Beach-to-Beach Adventure Hike is one such example,” commented Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of SCTIE.

Media representatives and stakeholders were invited to experience some of the hike as part of the official launch on Friday (June 23), with a stop at Blue Lagoon restaurant on the route.

The 38km hike starts at Port Edward Beach, where the Sao Joao Portuguese Monument commemorates those who died in the Sao Joao shipwreck in 1552.

It continues to Glenmore beach where the remains of the Nightingale shipwreck, which ran aground on the rocks off the beach in 1933, can be seen.

The journey crosses beaches, lagoons, estuaries, lush subtropical coastal forests, and grasslands, with sightings of animals and seabirds such as albatrosses, seagulls, oystercatchers, waders, gannets, and more.

Mpenjati and Palm beaches are also part of the hike, before crossing Trafalgar, one of the region’s Blue Flag beaches. This forms part of the Trafalgar Marine Protected Area (MPA), one of three MPAs along the KZN South Coast. Here hikers can view rock fossils exposed in the intertidal zone and rock pools that are home to marine life.

Then it is on to the Blue Flag Marina beach, renowned for swimming and sunbathing, before stopping at Southbroom beach. This route offers birdlife, including Barn Swallows, Harrier Hawks, Crowned Eagles and Purple Crested Loeries.

Visitors can also look out for Blue duiker, bushbuck, bushpig, porcupine, water monitors, and mongoose.

Finally, to the last Blue Flag beach on the route at Ramsgate – which is a great fishing and bird-lovers’ spot.

SCTIE also launched a new adventure tour package, ‘the Nyandezulu Experience’ this month.