South Africa's Tsitsikamma National Park

Useful Information

History

Tsitsikamma is a Khoikhoi word where tsi means “clear” or “clean” and kamma means “water” or “river.” It can be translated as “clear, clear water” or “clear river.” The Khoikhoi were nomadic pastoral people who moved seasonally to graze livestock. The group associated with the area, the Houteniqua, means “man laden with honey.” The Khoikhoi arrived in the southern Cape between 2,500 and 2,000 years ago.

Shell middens indicate that Stone Age people occupied the coast long before the Khoikhoi. Europeans arrived in the eighteenth century. Tsitsikamma National Park is now grouped with Wilderness and Knysna as Garden Route National Park. Upon establishment, a marine protected area was incorporated along roughly 80 km of coastline — among the earliest marine national park initiatives in Africa — with a no-take policy that provides a baseline for fisheries research.

Wildlife

The animals most likely to be encountered are chacma baboon and vervet monkey — do not leave food unattended. Numerous antelope occur, the most common being bushbuck; other antelope include common duiker, steenbok, grysbok, klipspringer, and blue duiker. The secretive Cape mountain leopard is the largest predator and is mostly seen on camera traps. Caracal is occasionally spotted, and Cape clawless otter may be seen entering the ocean before high tide. From the cliffs, southern right whale and humpback whale are visible in season. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin occurs year-round.

Several bat species emerge at dusk to feed on insect. Nocturnal species like large-spotted genet, bushpig, porcupine, and striped polecat move during the small hours. The indigenous forest is rich in birdlife; the Knysna turaco is the best known. Daytime calls include red-chested cuckoo, Knysna turaco, and Burchell’s coucal; at night, listen for Cape eagle-owl, spotted eagle-owl, fiery-necked nightjar, and common thick-knee. In pristine forest, the beautiful Narina trogon rewards patient birdwatchers. On calm nights, fireflies add a touch of magic.

Vegetation & Terrain

Tsitsikamma is known for cliffs, deep river valleys, and the ancient Cape Fold Mountains to the north. The bedrock consists largely of heavily weathered, jointed metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Along the coast, weaker zones have weathered along joints, forming parallel gaps that resemble slices. Geologically, Tsitsikamma falls within the Table Mountain Group of the Cape Supergroup, deposited in shallow marine environments roughly 510–400 million years ago.

The park is best known for lush indigenous forest with towering yellowwoods. Other notable trees include red elder, Cape ash, hard pear, and black stinkwood. Lianas such as “monkey-rope” aid arboreal movement. The area also supports multiple fynbos types (including restio- and asteraceae-rich communities) and semiaquatic and aquatic plants, such as reeds, sedges, bulrushes, pondweed, and seagrass.

Activities

Tsitsikamma is an adventurer’s paradise. A favorite is kayaking up Storms River through a dramatic gorge. Another highlight is the Big Tree, a 36.6 m Outeniqua yellowwood with a 9 m circumference. Forest canopy tours and zip-lines carry visitors over giant ferns and ravines.

The world-renowned Otter Trail is a five-day hiking expedition that must be booked well in advance. The Waterfall Trail — the first section of the Otter — is an excellent day walk of about three hours (allow extra time for swimming at the falls). Adrenaline seekers can leap from Bloukrans Bridge, one of the world’s highest bungee jumps. Mountain biking, Segway tours, tubing, golf, scuba diving, and more are available nearby — let us know your preferences.