A Guide to Wild Swimming — explore 100 of the Western Cape’s most beautiful swimming spots

A Guide to Wild Swimming in the Western Cape by Serai Dowling and Matthew Dowling blends personal reflections, ecological notes and historical context with vital practical information to plan your swim. But this book is more than just a guide. It’s a call to remember that immersion in wild waters brings us closer to our belonging in nature. Here is an excerpt.

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What is wild swimming?

Not every swim spot makes it into a wild swimming guide. Defining what counts as wild is both intuitive and layered, shaped by personal experience, practical safety, and a deeper philosophical understanding of our relationship with water and place.

Broadly, wild swimming refers to swimming in natural, outdoor bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and the sea. The essence of the experience lies in soaking yourself in a fully living ecosystem exposed to wind, weather, water creatures, shifting light, and the contours of the land. It means being vulnerable and attentive. Some of the places included in this book will feel remote, whereas others are surprisingly accessible. What they share is a quality of wildness and wonder, and that, to us anyway, counts as “wild swimming”. We sought places that:

• are largely unconfined by concrete, with the exception of a few dams and tidal pools where the surroundings and sensory experience still feel wild;
• offer natural beauty and atmosphere, even if shaped in part by human hands;
• allow a swimmer to be in a more deliberate communion with nature, rather than swimming for performance, training, or sport;
• vary in discoverability, from easily accessed pools to remote mountain waterholes;
• offer contemplative, immersive experiences;
• are publicly accessible, though some require a bit of planning.

Access and permission matter deeply to us. We included a mix of:

• nature reserves and national parks that require entry fees (which are often minimal and well worth it for the preservation of these landscapes);
• privately owned properties where you may need to camp, rent accommodation, or purchase a day pass;
• public spaces that can be accessed for free, and where swimming remains part of a shared heritage.

We’ve done our best to balance the practicalities of access with the promise of beauty and wildness. We urge swimmers to always check local guidelines, seek permission where needed, and tread with respect.

What wild swimming is not

Adventure swimming: Adventure swimming pushes you, mentally and physically, through challenging and often exhilarating aquatic environments. While there’s some natural overlap with wild swimming, adventure swims are defined by their intensity – think bucket-list deep-water crossings or dramatic roundings such as Cape Point. These swims are usually carefully planned, often supported by watercraft, and offer a deliberate thrill.

In contrast, wild swimming is far more contemplative and often spontaneous. Think a slow breaststroke across a quiet cove, just for the joy of being there. Adventure swims can be monumental, like crossing False Bay or swimming the 52km across Lake Malawi. Wild swimming asks less of your lungs and more of your attention.

Open-water swimming: Again, there are similarities – both wild and open-water swimming take place in natural or semi-natural outdoor settings. But the term open-water swimming is used to refer more specifically to competitive swimming with a set distance and a desired speed. Many of the wild swimming spots in this book are also used for open-water competition routes and have become places of training, pacing, and performance.

While we stand in awe of those athletes and their feats, we must emphasise that wild swimming in general is not about getting from A to B. It’s about forgetting the alphabet altogether.

Kromrivier Waterfall Hike – Limietberg Nature Reserve

Just beyond the Huguenot Tunnel, on the Worcester side of Du Toitskloof Pass, lies one of the most rewarding day hikes in the Western Cape. The Kromrivier Waterfall trail follows a winding path through patches of indigenous Afromontane forest, over mossy boulders, along fynbos hillside, and across multiple river crossings, eventually leading you to two breathtaking waterfalls.

To get there, head east out of Cape Town on the N1 and pass through the tunnel. About 700m after exiting near all the truck-checking infrastructure, you’ll see a small turn-off onto a tarred service road, unmarked to the untrained eye but familiar to seasoned hikers. Parking is in a simple lot next to the N1. Access here is controlled and permits are essential, so make sure to book ahead through CapeNature. A gate guard checks your booking reference before letting you through. From here, the path is clear and well used, winding gently into the Kromrivier kloof to the northwest. This parking area can also be used for the Elandspad hike, which also has incredible swimming but is more popular with fly-fishers.

Begin the Kromrivier hike by walking down under the highway, across the river, and then turning left to follow the river upstream. You’ll wade through a couple of ankle-deep crossings, pass under occasional canopies of white stinkwood, rooiels, and keurboom, and sometimes emerge into sunny patches where damselflies dart over the water’s surface. The first waterfall appears about two-thirds of the way in, a veiled curtain of water falling into a tannin-dark pool, surrounded by smooth rocks that beg for a barefoot picnic or a brave splash.

From there, a steeper climb awaits. The final stretch requires a bit of scrambling over slick sandstone, and a short ascent up a chain ladder bolted into the rock. At the top, the trail opens out into a sandstone amphitheatre, where the upper waterfall tumbles down into a deep, clear plunge pool. The water is bracingly cold even in summer, but few resist the draw of that perfect mountain immersion.

Permits are strictly limited to prevent overcrowding and keep the reserve’s fragile ecology intact. It’s best to start early, both for a shot at solitude and to avoid the worst of the sun on the return trip. The whole route is roughly 7km out and back, with most taking four to five hours, including swimming stops. In peak wet months, especially after rain, the rivers run high and the waterfalls are in full flow; it’s best not to swim when the river is in full flow.

This is a place where a particularly high and steep part of the Cape Fold Mountains cradle you in silence, and the plunge pools offer an unfiltered clarity that’s rare to find so close to the city. The combination of partly forested trail and mountain air on river-cooled skin makes it one of the most elemental hikes the Western Cape has to offer.

The Kromrivier runs down from a high plateau called the Witzenberg Vlakte, a beautiful area that is part of the Mountain Club’s collection of wilderness properties. Membership will give you access to the popular Kromrivier Hut, which is upstream from the upper waterfall and has its own glorious natural pool. 

Things to think about

Limietberg – “Mountain of Limits” – is a fitting name for a landscape that feels both remote and intensely contained, cupped between steep ridges and deep river valleys. For climbers and mountaineers, this is a true playground: the Slanghoek Amphitheatre nearby hosts classic multi-pitch routes, including the iconic Private Universe, which stretches over 550m of sustained climbing. Routes up Du Toits Peak and the surrounding ridges offer a mix of steep mountaineering, vertical cracks, and smooth slabs. The area has long been a hub for the Cape climbing community, who balance adventure with respect for this rugged, towering landscape. DM

A Guide to Wild Swimming in the Western Cape is published by Rockhopper Books. It will be released in November 2025 at a retail price of R475.