Crystal Pools Hike: Our followers already know that we love hiking. There is so much that one is exposed to and feels when going up a new trail; the distinct smell of fresh air outdoors, the peace of only you and nature, and of course all that dopamine generated from a good exercise. Watch here!
Crystal Pools hike
Location: R44, after the Steenbras River Gorge
Duration: >3 hours
Fitness required: Moderate
One of the hikes that we love exploring is the Crystal Pools hike. There are mainly two things that are special about this hike. The first is that it is a bit of an exclusive hike because the entrance is restricted to limit the number of people inside.
To get a permit, you will need to email steenbras.naturereserve@capetown.gov.za at least two days in advance to receive a permit and pay the entrance fee of R75 per person, and it is only open during certain months in a year.
You can get a permit for 2 to 10 people depending on the size of your group. The second thing that we found super cool is the main event of the hike -pools that are so clear you can see right through them: crystal clear pools! This is especially great on a sunny day when you will feel drained and after you reach the pool, like us.
We made a rookie mistake of starting a hike at midday when the sun is high and the scorching heat makes the hike just a bit more difficult, don’t be like us! You should also add some time to find the entrance, as the map ended up taking us to a different location whereas the hike entrance is more on the off road side of the R44 (just after you’ve crossed the bridge over the mouth of the Steenbras River). Parking is available, and there will be someone to check your permit. If you live in Cape Town, we suggest you head towards the hike at 7 am to get started at about 8 am.
The route going in is fairly straightforward, you will first come across the bridge and if there has been a lot of rain, there’ll be a beautiful stream there. Proceed onwards and you will find the first crystal pool at approximately 55 minutes to 1,35 hours from the minute you start (different websites suggest less but we had a longer walk). This is usually more crowded as everyone wants to jump into the cool water immediately! There’s usually more sun here (depending on time of day) and so it was more pleasant to relax in.
Just 15 minutes more of climbing will take you to 2nd pool, usually quieter and great for just relaxing in the cold shadowy water. There is a 3rd pool that requires further climbing, and these two allow for more cliff jumping and kloofing activities thanks to the height (we were too exhausted to try this but feel free to go crazy 😉). We did get slightly lost on the way back, but there are always people to ask when hiking in Cape Town!
The hike is quite different from the many hikes that we do. For one, you won’t be exposed cascading Cape Town views. Rather, the hike offers an opportunity to be exposed to varying fauna and flora species. This of course is amazing in its own way because we just feel great around greenery and scent of plants.
In terms of difficulty, we suggest a medium level of fitness to complete this. We hike approximately once every 2 weeks (so that you have a measure of what our medium level is).
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