Arniston Fishing Village Walk

Arniston and a bench overlooking the sea.

By Vicky · Published Feb. 24th, 2021 · Updated Nov. 23rd, 2022

This walk takes you from the centre of Arniston, past the harbour, through the old fishing cottages of Kassiesbaai to a beach. On the way back you climb through tall sand dunes. It’s a very diverse walk with many points of interest.

Location

Arniston is a seaside fishing village along the south coast of Western Cape, South Africa. We started this hike at the car park in front of the Arniston Spa Hotel in the centre of the village. Reaching this place from Cape Town takes about 2.5 to 3 hours and 209 km along the N2 and R316.

Arniston Walking Map

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

Tips

  • As almost always in South Africa, take a sunhat and sunscreen to protect yourself.
  • You can keep on going further along the beach if you like – the sand dunes further away looked super beautiful.
  • We got a bit stuck on the way back by a fence, but there were some houses there and the people were very friendly and let us through their gate in the fence.
  • There are several cute places to stay in Arniston*
  • Kassiesbaai is the name of the part of Arniston where the old fishing cottages are.
  • Find more great hikes in South Africa.
Arniston harbour with its colourful fishing boats.
Arniston harbour.

To read all details of our weekend trip from Cape Town to Agulhas and everything you can do in the park, read our Agulhas National Park Guide. After our lunch in the village, we parked by the cliffs and harbour. This is just in front of the Arniston Spa Hotel*. We set off and first checked out the cute colourful fishing boats. These were behind a metal grill fence, but you could peek. It was a Sunday. However, probably during the week, especially early morning (fishermen fish early right?), the fishing boats will be out at sea.

Things to do in Arniston

  1. Walk around the beautiful old cottages
  2. Visit Arniston Beach
  3. Check out the fishing boats in the village
  4. See the sand dunes north of town
Kassiesbaai fishing village cottage.
Cute cottage in Arniston
Another cute fishing cottage in Arniston, South Africa.
Another cute cottage in Arniston

Arniston Seaside Cottages & Sand Dunes

From the harbour, wander through the super cute old fishermen’s cottages of Kassiesbaai and onwards to the beach. Continue walking along the beach for 600 m, until turning inland and following a track for a little while. Shortly after, leave the path and head further inland to explore the nice-looking sand dunes.

History of Arniston

View of town from the beach.
Looking back at the village.

In 1815 the British ship ‘The Arniston’ crash-landed at Arniston, though it wasn’t called that yet. The fishing village of Kassiesbaai sprang up a few years later – the name comes from the kassies (Afrikaans for boxes) that washed ashore from the shipwreck, and were used to help build houses.

The coloured fishermen from Kassiesbaai are known for their successful fights for their rights, when twice in the past they were threatened with the relocation of their village. because of these struggles, the village still stands today and is now a national heritage site.

The beach we followed north of Arniston, South Africa.
The beach north of Arniston.
Vicky on a sand dune north of Arniston.
On one of the sand dunes.

On the way back from the sand dunes, follow one of the many tracks. Near the village you might meet a fence. You can either climb over, or the friendly locals will let you through. Walk back through the cottages to return to your car.

For another walk nearby, drive across town for a short birdwatching walk. Alternatively, read about things to do in Agulhas National Park or discover other hikes in South Africa.

Arniston Kassiesbaai seaside cottage.

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