Slackpacking in the Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape is fast becoming a focus for slackpacking enthusiasts. The province has wonderfully varied terrain. Along the coast you can walk through green hills, forests and the widest wildest beaches, while inland the country becomes drier and more mountainous with UNESCO world heritage diversity. There is also incredible diversity in the kind of

slackpacking adventures on offer; from easy 4 day beach experiences to iconic 20 day epics, from routes that feel rural and friendly to routes that literally rewild you, they are so remote and raw.

Around places like the Baviaanskloof, the Amathole Mountains and the wider Wild Coast, there are trails where the landscape changes dramatically from one day to the next.

The Eastern Cape is also a region where walking can feel genuinely rural. You pass farms and villages rather than endless tourist infrastructure. That is part of the appeal, but it also means you need to be prepared and respectful and choosing a good slackpacking operator who understands local customs is important.

With slackpacking, you can finish a day's walk, shower, eat a proper meal and sleep in a bed rather than wrestling with a tent in the dark. Slackpacking gives you a chance to move through that landscape without turning every walk into an expedition.