Glentana Shipwreck

This scenic out-and-back route starts and finishes in the parking area in front of the Visgraat Restaurant in Glentana.

The route is best accessed on low tide and expect some rock hopping in places even on spring low tide.

The “Glentana Shipwreck”

If you wander along the stunning Glentana coastline on the Garden Route, you’ll come across what locals call a shipwreck. But here’s the thing, it’s not actually a ship at all!

What happened was this: back in 1902, a huge floating dry dock, we’re talking about 123 meters long and weighing around 4,500 tons, was being towed from Durban to Cape Town by a steamship called the SS Baralong. Then things went badly wrong. Rough seas and fierce north-westerly winds snapped the tow line, and the massive dock was left drifting helplessly toward the shore. It eventually ran aground on the sand just east of Glentana Beach, and that’s where it’s been ever since.

More than a century later, you can still see rusted pieces of this old giant poking out from the sand along the beach. It’s a fascinating piece of maritime history hiding in plain sight.

Start/Finish	Glentana Beach Parking Area
Distance	± 4.0 km
Elevation Gain	± 20 m
Perceived Exertion	Moderate
Trail System	Beaches
Surface	Beach
Route Markers	None
GPX	Get the gpx file for self navigation.