Home/Discover Mossel Bay/Cape St Blaize
Cape St Blaize: the lighthouse, the cave and the trail
Cape St Blaize is the headland that gives Mossel Bay its shelter and its drama: an 1864 lighthouse, a cave that people have lived in for 200,000 years, a cliff-top trail with whales passing below, and the finest natural tidal pool on the coast. It is a five-minute drive from Villa Palmera.
The St Blaize Trail
The trail runs 13.5 km west along the cliffs from the lighthouse to Dana Bay, following an old fisherman's path. You do not have to do all of it: the first hour from the lighthouse gives you the best of the views, the fynbos, the dassies and, between June and November, southern right and humpback whales. Start early, take water, and walk the whole thing one way with a taxi back if you are keen.
Cape St Blaize Cave
Directly below the lighthouse, the cave was one of the first archaeological sites excavated in South Africa (1888) and has shell middens showing people ate from these rocks for tens of thousands of years. A boardwalk leads to it from the Point car park.
The Point tidal pool and the Poort
The Point's rock pools and the sea-water swimming pool are the town's favourite summer spot. The Poort is a natural channel where the waves surge through - swim at low tide and on calm days. Cafes and restaurants line the road behind it.
Getting there from Villa Palmera
Two kilometres. Drive five minutes and park at the Point, or walk twenty-five minutes down through town along the harbour.
Good to know
How long is the St Blaize Trail?
13.5 km one way from the Cape St Blaize lighthouse to Dana Bay, about four hours. Most guests walk the first hour and back.
Can you see whales from Cape St Blaize?
Yes, from about June to November. Southern right whales come close inshore to calve; humpbacks pass further out.
How far is Villa Palmera from Cape St Blaize?
About 2 km - five minutes by car or a 25-minute walk.
More in Discover Mossel Bay
Beaches & ocean
Santos, Diaz, De Bakke and the Point: which beach for what.
Marine experiences
Whales in winter, sharks and seals all year, dolphins most days.
Pinnacle Point
Caves with 164,000-year-old evidence of the first modern humans.
Heritage & culture
Dias, the Post Office Tree, stone villas and the town beyond the beach.
Things to do
Twenty-five things worth doing, all within ten minutes.
Garden Route
Twenty minutes from George Airport and a day trip from everything.
Book direct for the best rate
Live availability and instant confirmation through our secure NightsBridge page. No booking-site commission, so more of your stay goes to Villa Palmera and to iOcean Trust.
- Best available rate
- Instant confirmation
- Pay securely online
- Message Andrea directly