04 Dec Hiking the Tokai Green Belt
There are a number of Green Belt walks in Cape Town. Most notably, the ones along the M3 Constantia to Muizenberg.
You can access these green belts at any spot. They lead you from one area to another, passing parks, forests, and rivers. Beautiful scenery accompanies you as you walk close to homes and town activities yet with the sense of being in the wild.
You will find lots of information posted on various signboards along the way. It is an easy walk, and you are encouraged to read up on the area, its history and efforts towards conservation.
For birders, this is a paradise and will tick all the boxes. Hikers must be careful though because these pathways are used by cyclists too. You may even encounter the occasional rider on a horse. All this leads to the feeling of freedom though.
We entered the green belt opposite ‘Peddlars on the Bend’, a well frequented Cape Town restaurant, crossing the Constantia Road and walking along the Keyser River.
The path is clearly marked, so you won’t get lost. However, there are many different pathways to follow, so it’s best that you plan your route beforehand. But by continuing along this path you will eventually arrive at lower Tokai Forest. Along the path is sufficient cover from the sun as you pass under trees and other vegetation. These paths are also pet friendly. There is ample water as you crisscross streams.
Along the way we passed a ‘Fynbos Conservancy’ and took time to read up on its existence here in the forest.
At Lower Tokai Forest we chose a path to the right, facing Contantiaberg. The view of this mountain is in itself awesome. Continuing along this path we encountered a coffee shop in the forest, aptly named, “The Secret Forest Café”. What a delightful find!
I was not prepared for this and made a mental note to return here when I bring family with me on my next walk.
We continued to the north end of Lower Tokai Forest, turning left at “Restoration Trail”. San Parks and Cape Nature has provided a lot of information along the way allowing you to read up on their conservation efforts and the conservation efforts of the ‘Friends of the Green Belts”
Cool breeze from surrounding mountains, a sunny day, great vistas, clearly marked trails, enough little streams, bird sightings and many more made for this to be an excellent walk.
We stopped for a breakfast break in the forest before returning back to Peddlars, where our vehicles were parked.
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