Just east of the Great Brak River, almost halfway between Mossel Bay and George, lies the beautiful seaside village of Glentana, its beaches topped by fynbos covered cliffs that plunge precipitously into the Indian Ocean.
The origins of the name, Glentana, are a little murky, but there are those who believe that there is a very strong connection between the town and a certain whiskey still brewed in Northern Scotland that goes by the same name. The rich combination of Milkwood trees, white beaches and rocky outcrops make for a beauty that leaves every visitor rewarded, and even today, despite the demand for property along the Garden Route, manages to remain uncluttered and unspoilt.
Glentana Bay lies in an ancient riverbed where shell collecting and fishing are pastimes that have changed little since the origins of the town that began with a smattering of houses in the early 1900s. To the south of the cliffs of Glentana, there is little other than open sea, and waves build to immense proportions, their thundering surf over time forming a number of sea caves. These caves occur as one leaves Glentana village east along the coast, and include Glentana cave, Helm’s Hole, Jessica’s Cave and the caves of Cape Windlass Beach.
We have been visiting Glentana as a family since its inception. The generations before me came down and literally set up half a farm with cows, chickens and the sorts for the duration of their holiday there. We used to roam the area and explore every nook and cranny of it. Towards the east of the beach where a section of rocks interrupts the seemingly endless beach, is one of my favourite spots. There is a huge “rock” just before the rocky section starts where we played pirates and shipwreck. Glentana is also famous for its shipwreck on the beach.
In November 1902, the SS Baralong, towing a floating dock destined for Durban past Mossel Bay, encountered strong north-westerly winds and heavy seas. One of the towing lines broke and, after some considerable effort, the crew managed to re-attach it. They were by now perilously close to land and, after the gear failed again, the dock beached on a sandy section of the coast near Glentana on the Garden Route, where it remains today - some 110 plus years later. Various attempts were made to re-float it without success and finally it was decided to abandon it. It would have been the first floating dock in operation in South Africa and measured about 115 X 25m. It's a 2km, relatively easy walk to the east from the main beach at Glentana, best undertaken at low tide. Expect some rock-hopping even at spring lows, but it is well worth the effort.
While you are there, catch a few caches!
TO QUALIFY FOR A VALID LOG ON THIS VIRTUAL CACHE YOU NEED TO DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Take a picture of the "big rock" with your geocache name and date of visit displayed on the picture. Be creative – write it in the sand, on your forehead, on your finger,on your shoes or piece of paper. REMEMBER I want to SEE it together with "the rock" in ONE picture! This picture should be send to me in a PRIVATE message/e-mail. Please DO NOT post this in your log! This serves as confirmation that you visited the location and to avoid arm-chair caching!
2. If you do not post a picture within 30 days after your visit, your log WILL BE deleted without further ado - no conversation about it. Let us all play fair.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.