If a cyclist could take a bird’s eye view of Plettenberg Bay and the surrounding areas, they would find that forest, fynbos, plantation, winelands and coastline are creatively and delicately marked with trails crisscrossing the landscape – trails cut to minimise invasion and maximise enjoyment. These are the Plett MTB Trails and among them, the world’s first international Green Flag Status MTB Trails.
Plettenberg Bay and the Garden Route have often topped many riders’ “Bike It” lists and are known to offer some of the most exquisite rides in the world as they weave and dip through coastal vegetation veering along cliff’s edges, stripe through pine plantations, meander through winelands and sweep along the Afromontane forests of the Garden Route National Park. Added to this, famous rides such as the Dr Evil Classic, Cross Cape Cycle Route, Tour de Plett and Karoo 2 Coast provide riders with a sample of the exceptional trails to be enjoyed in the region. The final puzzle piece to this cycling playground is the beautiful play parks and trails to be enjoyed at Cairnbrogie and Sky Trails.
Johan Vorster, owner of Trail Lynx explains, “The new Sky Trails have been constructed within the greater framework of a botanical park concept. Each trail has been created to showcase the diverse fynbos biomes on the property and all the trails have been constructed responsibly, with good drainage and careful trail planning to minimise negative impacts on the local ecology. This synergises directly with the international Green Flag Trails initiative and we are proud to be one of the first accredited MTB trails in South Africa.”
Green Flag Trails is an international standard for trail accreditation, to enhance public awareness and confidence in trails with a system designed to meet the needs of trail users in relation to trail information, difficulty grading and skills, and trail classification. The system ensures well managed and environmentally accountable trails remain a valued and on-going resource for access to nature, recreation and trail sports, for health and tourism and the many benefits trails offer local communities.
And the trails are quite simply out of this world. Plett’s location at the heart of the Garden Route National Park, surrounded by nature reserves, pine plantations, mountains, dramatic coastline, fynbos and exquisite indigenous forest makes it the ideal base from which to explore the region. The app currently offers information on a variety of trails ranging from Harkerville to the west of Plettenberg Bay through to Tsitsikamma in the east, complete with trail information, maps, distances, updates to trail conditions and contact information ensuring first-time and returning visitors are provided with up-to-date information in an easy-to-use format.
Plett Tourism CEO Patty Butterworth is pleased to be launching the app with the aim of positioning Plettenberg Bay as a “trail town”: “If you’ve ever visited an area and struggled to find information on hikes or trails, or started a trail only to find out it’s a lot more strenuous than intended or severely degraded, you’ll understand and appreciate the value of having the app’s information at your fingertips. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or looking to explore new and exciting paths around Plett, the Plett Trails app will be your faithful companion. We are thrilled to introduce this new product to the travel market and look forward to adding new trails as the information becomes available.”
The new Plett Trails app features a fine selection of MTB and hiking trails ready to be explored, comfortably settling Plett into the saddle as a global MTB destination with trails and events for riders of all skills. To develop the app and bring this product to an international market, the Plett Tourism Association partnered with chairman of the World Trails Network, and founder of the popular Garden Route Walking Festival, Galeo Saintz to develop the app alongside private stakeholders including SANparks, CapeNature and the MTO group leading to the world’s first Green Flag MTB Trails right here in Plettenberg Bay.
The app features a variety of mountain bike trails for riders to enjoy including the following Green Flag MTB Trails with more to follow as information becomes available:
MTO Trails – Kranshoek
Sky Park Trails
- Scaffold
- Wanderlust
- Smoked Salmon
- Badger
- Lylo
- The Bolt
SANparks’ – Storms River Plaatbos
The Plett Trails App Features
- Comprehensive trail listings and descriptions
- Trail descriptions include elevation, map, difficulty, distance, duration, trail format circular, trail type, activity type (walking, wheelchair access, MTB, etc.), facilities, and more
- Integration with Google Maps to navigate to trail start and, when mobile signal available, to navigate the trail itself
- Green Flag accreditation (where appropriate), safety notes and trail updates, trail contact information
- Trail quality ratings for scenic value, landscape variation and special features
- Comprehensive map of trail regions around Plettenberg Bay
- List of qualified guides available for bookings
- General area information
How to install the app
- Scan the QR code with your phone
- Scanning the QR code will automatically install the app once your details are entered
- Ensure you have access to your email as you’ll receive a one-time registration code
- If installing on iPhone, add the app to your home screen by selecting share then scrolling down to the add to home screen For Android, follow similar add to home screen prompts.
- Browse and navigate 26 number of trails and 16 Green Flag Trails to plan your next outdoor adventure – enjoy!
- NOTE: there is an option to provide feedback and updates on trails for trail managers to address any changes as they arise.
