Cathedral Rock Walk

This very short beach walk takes you to Cathedral Rock, an impressive rock arch standing with its feet in the waves. A short detour to the Matjes River Rock Shelter, a most impressive midden, is well worth the effort.

Getting there: take the N2 east from Plettenberg Bay, pass over the Keurbooms River, turn right to Keurboomstrand and follow the road for 5km, passing Keurbooms Beach and the houses of the little village to reach the parking lot.
GPS Coords: -34.003041, 23.460963
Distance: 2.7km
Difficulty: easy walk mainly on the beach

This walk takes you to the impressive Cathedral Rock, a rock arch on the beach near Keurboomstrand.

If the tide is out, the walk can be done entirely on the beach; if the tide is in there is a path up through the coastal vegetation above the beach that will take you safely to the river mouth. While the beaches themselves are not safe bathing beaches, there is a very cute little rock pool directly on the far side of the arch that would definitely be good for a dip in warmer weather.

There are public ablutions as well as showers in the parking lot. There are lifeguards on duty at the main beach in season.

Park in the parking lot. Walk down to the boardwalk that goes in front of the restaurant and to the left.

Take the stairs down onto the sand and continue along the beach.

Pass through the narrow passageway between the rocks, continuing along the beach on the other side. The arch is just across the beach that separates the small lagoon of the Matjes River from the ocean [-34.002539, 23.471202].

To return via the high water trail, walk from Cathedral Rock back across the beach but head toward the rocks at the river’s edge; you will see an “Exit” sign [-34.002142, 23.469211]. Boulder hop to the sign which directs you up a path that has log steps laid across it on the way up.

Take the short detour marked simply with an arrow pointing to the right; this short detour takes you to the Matjes River Rock Shelter.

The trail then heads back through the coastal thicket until it drops steeply down to the beach [-34.002836, 23.465105]; be careful on this section as both the rocks and the metal stairway are very slippery.

Nearest beer: Rístorante Enrico