Explore nature on the four-day Philocaly Trail walk
The annual beach walk helps raise funds for environmental conservation organisations.
The North Coast’s most famous beach walk, the Philocaly Trail, will return for its 6th edition at the end of September.
Hosted annually since 2019, the multi-day walk has raised thousands for ocean conservation and continues to pursue the ‘love of beauty’ that its name suggests.
This year’s trail will start in Mtunzini and end in Zinkwazi, with four full days of walking on offer from September 27-30.
The trail distance will total around 74km of walking, split into 15km, 21km, 23km and 15km sections on days one through four respectively.
“We are looking to do something a little different this year,” said trail organiser, Mike Gahagan.
“While most of the walking will still be on the beach, as is customary, we will also spend some time in nature reserves and forests.”
Eagle-eyed walkers should be able to see a wide variety of new wildlife as a result, aside from the whale and dolphin activity that has made the Philocaly Trail so popular.
There is also an educational element, as organisers hope to spread their love for the local environment and share tips on how to keep it protected.
“The trail is organised completely on a volunteer basis which allows all of the raised funds to be donated to environmental organisations,” said Gahagan.
“We have supported a number of organisations in the past, including Oceans Alive and Breathe Conservation, among others.”
If you would like to join the walk, you can either do all four days or dip in and out as your schedule allows. Each day costs R300 and includes a guided walk which will take the majority of the day.
All accommodation, travel and food costs are for participants’ own account.
There is no qualification or barrier to entry, but one will need to be relatively fit and comfortable walking on sand to fully enjoy the experience.
Visit Philocaly Trail – 2024 on Facebook to find out more information and the link to sign up.
If you would like to get into the environmentally-aware headspace before the big walk, join beach clean-ups across the coast this weekend.
Clean-ups will be held at Willard, Blythedale and Zinkwazi beaches on Saturday at 8am. Contact Cheryl at 083 321 1831 to find out more.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
