Where are the Zinkwazi forest trails?

The Zinkwazi forest trails are accessed from 31 Palm Drive, Zinkwazi Beach. The entrance gate is in an electric fence and opens at 6am, closing at 6pm. From the gate, follow the approach path a few hundred metres to the trail head where all three trails begin. Parking is on the grass verge on Palm Drive.

How many trails are there at Zinkwazi forest?

There are three marked trails maintained by the Zinkwazi Blythedale Conservancy: the Lala Forest Depression (1.22km return, 20 to 30 minutes), the Iphiti Trail (1.22km return), and the Royal Walk (3.5km, 1 to 1.5 hours). All three start from the same trail head at 31 Palm Drive. The Lala Forest and Iphiti trails are connected and can be walked together.

Are the Zinkwazi forest trails suitable for children?

The Lala Forest trail suits children aged 6 and older walking independently, and younger children with parents. The Royal Walk is more demanding: mixed terrain, a steep uphill section and a fallen tree to climb over. It is better suited to older children and reasonably fit adults. Dogs are welcome on all trails but must be kept on a leash.

Can you run the Zinkwazi forest trails?

The three marked walking trails themselves (Lala Forest, Iphiti and the Royal Walk) are not suited to running. They are walking trails with narrow paths, rooted forest floor, a steep staircase section and currently a fallen tree on the Royal Walk that requires climbing over. The trail running happens in the sugarcane fields beyond the forest trail network, where two routes start from the 31 Palm Drive entrance: the sugarcane loop (approximately 10.5km, 195m elevation gain) and the morning trail run (approximately 11km, 210m elevation gain). Both require a GPX file loaded on your device because the field offshoots are unmarked. GPX downloads are provided in the Running section.

Zinkwazi Forest Trails: Coastal Dune Forest Walks Guide

Most visitors to Zinkwazi spend their mornings at the lagoon. A few discover the forest. There are three walking trails through the coastal dune forest on the southern edge of the village, maintained by Zinkwazi residents Roy and Allan under the Zinkwazi Blythedale Conservancy. Between them they cover everything from a gentle 20-minute loop to a proper 3.5km forest and coastal route with ocean lookouts, named waypoints and a few sections that will test your navigation. There are also a couple of trail running routes to explore. None of them appear on any major trail app. That is part of the point.

Getting to the trails

The entrance is at 31 Palm Drive, Zinkwazi. The gate is in an electric fence. It opens at 6am and is locked at 6pm. Do not cut it fine on the return.

From the gate, follow the approach path for a few hundred metres to reach the trail head where all three trails begin. At the trail head, the Royal Walk is to your left. Turn right and walk a short distance to a second fork. Lala Forest is left, Iphiti Trail is right.

All trails are on private property. The Zinkwazi Blythedale Conservancy is permitted to promote and maintain them. Enter at your own risk. Dogs must be on a leash at all times.

Lala Forest Depression: 1.22km return

Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Terrain: Well-maintained path, steep staircase section
Take: Water, snacks, a walking stick if you need one
Download the Lala Forest Depression GPX before you go

The Lala Forest trail is the most sheltered of the three: a loop through dense subtropical coastal forest, well cut and easy to follow for most of its length. The forest closes in quickly after the entrance. Dense foliage, plenty of birdlife, and the kind of quiet that the beach never quite has.

This is where the Crowned Eagle breeding pair holds territory. The nest is along this trail. You are unlikely to see the birds without knowing where to look and arriving early, but knowing they are here while you are walking changes how you move through the forest.

The trail climbs a fairly steep staircase section. Older visitors are advised to bring a walking stick or cane. The steps are substantial and the descent requires care.

Navigation note: At the top of the stairs there is a fork with no clear marker. Turn right. Follow the trail in a clockwise direction all the way back to where you came from, then descend via the Iphiti trail exit. If you go left at the fork you will lose the route. Right is the only correct direction. Lala Forest and the Iphiti Trail are connected. You can access one from the other, and combining both as a single outing is a natural option.

Suitable for: Children aged 6 and older can walk this independently. Younger children with parents. Older visitors should bring a walking stick for the stairs.

Iphiti Trail: 1.22km return

Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Terrain: Coastal dune forest
Take: Water, snacks, a walking stick if you need one

The Iphiti Trail branches right from the second fork after the entrance. It connects with the Lala Forest trail, so the two can be walked together as a combined loop. Both share the same approach and exit point.

Royal Walk: 3.5km

Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Terrain: Mixed: sand, beach, rooted forest floor, dead leaves, open and enclosed sections
Take: Water, snacks, a walking stick if you need one
Download the Royal Walk GPX before you go

The Royal Walk is the longest and most varied of the three trails, established by Zinkwazi residents Roy and Allan in October 2019. It is marked throughout: yellow markers on the outbound journey heading south (sea on your left), white markers on the return heading north (sea on your right). Keep the marker colours front of mind. The two directions are distinct enough that losing track of which colour you are following is the most common way to lose the route.

The trail passes through dense coastal dune forest with named waypoints on signs along the way: Piccadilly, Kings Cross, Milkwood Meander, before reaching the beach. Turn right on the beach and re-enter the forest within approximately 60 meters.

Once back in the forest, there is a significant uphill climb to Head Office, a lookout point. About 50 metres before Head Office there is a fork. Take the left path to continue following the yellow markers. Taking the right path here loses the route.

Continuing south from Head Office, always following yellow markers with the sea to your left, the trail reaches the Mussel Loop, a signed detour that leads down to the sea and back up via 50 ascending steps to the Captain's Cabin. The Captain's Cabin is the payoff: a lookout point with green tyre seats built into the hillside and open ocean views. Worth the climb.

Current hazard: A large tree has fallen directly across the path on this section. The only way through is to climb over the trunk and push through the fallen debris. The path continues on the other side, heading right. This section will sort itself out in time but is currently the most physically demanding part of the trail.

The return follows white markers north through Shepherd's Bush, Waterloo and Pilgrim's Rest, the last of the named rest points with more green tyre seats, before bringing you back to the start.

"The Royal Walk has a bit of everything: forest, beach, a serious uphill, ocean views from the top and a proper sit-down at the Captain's Cabin before the return. Take water. Take your time."

Suitable for: Reasonably fit adults and older children. Walking sticks recommended for older visitors. Not suitable for young children or those with limited mobility. Take refreshments. The route earns them.

Zinkwazi trail running

The forest trails entrance are an access point for one of the trail running routes that locals come back to. You can also access both of the routes listed below at the reservoir and Sharks Board access point reached via a right turn up a dirt path off Nkwazi Drive just before you enter the village. Both run through the sugarcane fields above the village, and both require a GPX file if its your first time. The offshoots in the fields are numerous and unmarked, so running either route without a track loaded on your device is not a good idea.

The sugarcane loop: 10.2km, 172m elevation gain

Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 hour+
Terrain: Sand/grass roads through Sugarcane fields
Download the sugarcane loop GPX before you go

From the Forest Trails entrance, the sugarcane loop cuts directly through a couple of sugarcane fields before turning right to climb a red sand hill. At the top, the Nonoti River mouth is visible to the south and the views across the rolling fields extend as far as the eye can see in every direction.

The descent takes you down the hill and right again onto a dirt road that the sugarcane trucks use, wide and firm underfoot, and winding up and around through the fields. From there the route makes its way back to the reservoir, drops down the access track, and turns right onto Nkwazi Drive at the village entrance to run home. A true loop that can be reversed starting at the reservoir entrance for a more relaxed downhill run.

The alternate sugarcane loop: 11.5km, 178m elevation gain

Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 hour+
Terrain: Sand/grass roads through Sugarcane fields and tar road
Download the alternate sugarcane loop GPX before you go.

This route uses the same reservoir and Sharks Board access point but branches away from the sugarcane loop at the hill. Instead of descending on the loop road, you continue right onto a different dirt road further inland, cut through sugarcane on the hillside, then drop steeply down through sections where sugarcane is transported and processed. There is a significant downhill followed by an equally significant uphill on a dirt road past a couple of farms. The route exits onto Nkwazi Drive through an entrance past a chicken farm. From there it is roughly 2km on Nkwazi Drive back to the village entrance and home.

For longer runs: Holla Trails

For serious trail runners, Holla Trails at Collisheen Estate, Umhlali is 43km, approximately 35 minutes from Zinkwazi. It is South Africa's largest MTB trail network with 300km of marked trails across 42 sugarcane farms, with a day permit of approximately R83 per adult. Dog-friendly on lead.

Walking through the cane fields

The forest trails connect at their far end into a network of farm roads through the sugarcane fields on the lefthand side of Zinkwazi. The same routes are used by many from the Nonoti community to the south, who use the Zinkwazi Forest Trails access point to enter the village.

For visitors, the cane field paths offer a longer walk with a different character: open horizons, the sweet-grass smell of the cane, and a working farming setting that puts the village in its proper context.

The cane is harvested in rotation, so the look of the fields changes through the year: tall and green for most of the season, then burned at harvest before resprouting. The trails through the fields are not well documented on any app. Stay on the established paths and turn back the way you came if you are uncertain.

Birdwatching on the trails

The forest trails pass through the iLala palm and coastal dune forest habitat that supports the Crowned Eagle breeding pair and a range of forest species not found at the lagoon or open beach. Early morning is the most productive window. Before heat and wind pick up, the forest is quieter and birds are more active. Birdwatching at Zinkwazi covers the full species list and best spots across all three habitats.

If you are starting to plan a visit, Zinkwazi has many self-catering options including lagoon-side cottages, beach houses, pet-friendly places, and the houses set back in the milkwood forest. Forest-set houses put you closer to the trail entrance at 31 Palm Drive.

Zinkwazi Forest Trails: A Guide to the Coastal Dune Forest Walks