I am embarrassed to admit that after years of visiting Cape St Francis, I had never done the Irma Booysens trail. To be honest I don’t know why…well, maybe it was the name that threw me. I mean, I’ve done trails like the Whale Trail, or heard of the Otter Trail. But Irma Booysens, that’s not one that jumped out at me.
Why wouldn’t it? Because in fact, Irma Booysens was a saint. She is half the reason that Cape St. Francis remains, to this day, a little paradise. Irma Booysens was a part of the family that owned the farmland before it became developed. Legend has it, that she persuaded her husband to set aside a large portion of the land to preserve its natural beauty…and that she was an avid lover of Fynbos. Although our area continues to become more developed, the Irma Booysens reserve acts to preserve the natural beauty of this unique coastline. Boasting 64 hectares of untouched flora and fauna, and the distinctive smell of fynbos teeming through the area – we can only be grateful to Irma Booysens for having the foresight to protect this precious gift on the SW point of Africa. The reserve has acted as a buffer to ensure that the area retains its natural beauty and that it does not become another over-developed coastal town.
In addition, the reserve is also an important part of the dune system and sand flow in the area. Allowing Seals Point, and the beachy to get all that good sand…which makes for our world class waves. Again, all respect and thanks to Irma. Since learning this fact, I sometimes offer gratitude to her after getting shacked on the beach break. A strange ritual, but hey, why not right?!
I learnt that unlike many of the other trails I have done, the Irma Booysens reserve has many entry and exit points. This allowed me to tailor the trail I wanted to do that evening based on the time I had. So, on this particular evening we decided to take the dog for a walk…poor boy had been indoors all week while we had builders on the property. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was already setting. I estimated that we had an hour of light left, so we decided to do a quick loop. Entering the reserve off of Da Gama road next to the power station, and doing a quick walk up to the ridge for some views (and a quick surf check) and then looping back towards the lighthouse (to exit at the Tennis Court) and walk the rest of the way back along Da Gama road. It was my first time in the reserve and I was astounded by the general maintenance, overall beauty and of course the evening sky did not disappoint. What was only a 60-minute walk, was a great way to end the day before getting home to start the braai! And of course, Jagger the dog was stoked!
Many of the trees, fynbos and flowers had naming tags. I learnt that we have things like Coastal Olive trees, or Dune Olives….in Cape St. Francis. I don’t know why, but this astounded me! And much of what you will find here I s specific to the region…and can’t be found anywhere else on the continent, let alone the world. One starts to appreciate the precious gifts that make this coastline so unique! And that fynbos smell is so beautifully pungent.
I did a few more walks during my time in Cape St. Francis and each one was different. Some to Sharks Point, with a pitstop at Full Stop for a pizza for lunch. Others through the reserve to the Lighthouse to sink a delicious cold beer (or a coffee for the morning folks) at The Pig & Rooster or Nevermind Café. Again, the beauty is that there are multiple entry and exit points allowing you to adjust your walk based on what you want to see, or how much time you have available.
Key info:
The reserve is open 24/7 – we suggest sticking to daylight hours for safety reasons.
Dogs are allowed.
Bicycles are allowed.
There is a Tuesday evening run club which leaves from Full Stop Café at 5:30 every week…a great social run that surely ends with something cold to drink.
The vegetation on the trails is generally cut and low, so I didn’t feel at risk for tick-bites. But if you’re worried you should put on some repellent or wear long socks. Also, South African ticks don’t carry Lymes disease but there’s a chance of tick-bite fever which is like a terrible form of flu that lasts a few days. But you can relax…no Lymes disease.
Walk with a degree of caution with half an eye open for snakes. We would advise wearing a pair of shoes (even sneakers are fine) as this area is home to the Puff Adder snake. While venomous, it is rare that deaths occur from one of these snake bites. I did google some key info for Puff Adder bites…and in a nutshell you have a few hours to get to a hospital to get the anti-venom. Not the ideal way to end a beautiful trail walk, but chances are slim if you stay alert.
Take some water and sunblock and you are all set. Enjoy!