Garden Route Attractions and Destinations

Albertinia

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Albertinia

Albertinia, a peaceful little town lying at the foot of the Langeberg Mountain range, is known as the home of the Aloe. The indigenous Aloe ferox, or Cape Aloe, grows prolifically in the area and the leaves are ... Albertinia information

Brenton On Sea

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Brenton On Sea

Lying on the other side of Knysna’s Western Head, nestled on the shores of the Indian Ocean in a quiet, lazy bay, residents describe Brenton on Sea’s beauty as the coast that Knysna doesn’t have, and in reality, Knysna ... Brenton On Sea information

Dana Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Dana Bay

Whilst often disregarded simply as a suburb of Mossel Bay, Dana Bay is in fact a conservancy, set in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, home to fine examples of coastal and limestone varieties of fynbos under threat ... Dana Bay information

Eersterivier

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Eersterivier

Easily confused with the other Eersterivier, which lies between Cape Town and the Cape Winelands close to Somerset West, the little holiday village of Eersterivier lies virtually unknown on the rocky coastline of the ... Eersterivier information

George

Where to Stay: Accommodation in George

Lying in a fertile, rich valley, surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains, forests, rivers and prosperous farmlands, George lies just 420 km from Cape Town and 320 km from Port Elizabeth, making it a perfect stopover from ... George information

Glentana

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Glentana

Just east of the Great Brak River, almost half way 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 ... Glentana information

Gouritsmond

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Garden Route

Just over an hour's drive from Still Bay, Gouritsmond lies on the Garden Route on the coast, at the mouth of the Gourits River - creating a wonderful water playground where river meets sea. Pretty little stone houses that date ... Gouritsmond information

Great Brak

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Great Brak

Whilst the adjectives - peaceful and tranquil - have been bandied about when referring to holiday locations, when applied to Great Brak they take on new meaning. This little village, just a few kilometres from both ... Great Brak information

Hartenbos

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Hartenbos

Between the towns of Mossel Bay and George lies a perfect holiday resort with an endless expanse of golden beach for walkers and anglers and a shallow, sandy lagoon that offers safe swimming and canoeing. Hartenbos ... Hartenbos information

Herolds Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Herolds Bay

The beautiful, secluded bay called Herold’s Bay has held an allure for holiday makers since time of old. Sketches and photographs in the George museum tell of ox wagons filled with tents, goods and servants, camping out ... Herolds Bay information

Joubertina

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Joubertina

Joubertina (pronounced Djou-ber-tina) lies nestled in amongst the Kouga, Baviaanskloof and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges, with accommodation provided mostly on nearby farms. Whilst the surrounds are gorgeous, the little town ... Joubertina information

Kareedouw

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Kareedouw

Kareedouw is a gorgeous little town that lies on Route 62 just behind the Tsitsikamma National Park, between Joubertina and Humansdorp, and nestled up against the Suuranys Mountains roughly 120 kilometres from Port Elizabeth... Kareedouw information

Keurboomstrand

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Keurboomstrand

The word 'keurboom' comes from the local Keurboom tree or choice tree (Virgilia oroboides), which produces pretty pink-mauve flowers from August to September and again in December. Keurboomstrand ... Keurboomstrand information

Knysna

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Knysna

Knysna is a natural paradise of lush, indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches. She nestles on the banks of a breathtakingly pretty lagoon, now a protected marine reserve that is home to the extraordinary ... Knysna information

Little Brak

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Little Brak

A tranquil little haven of sea, lagoon and river, virtually lost in time, wedged between Mossel Bay and Groot Brak on the Garden Route, is Little Brak River. Mainly a resort area, this part of the coast is renowned ... Little Brak information

Mossel Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is a bustling holiday town and port, set on the sunwashed slopes of Cape St Blaize overlooking the expansive bay, against the blueblack backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains. Mossel Bay lies halfway between ... Mossel Bay information

Natures Valley

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Natures Valley

Possibly the best part about staying in Nature’s Valley is that, despite its being on the Garden Route and in spite of its overwhelming beauty, it has managed to remain relatively ‘undiscovered’. The peaceful valley, ... Natures Valley information

Noetzie

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Noetzie

Noetzie is a hamlet - some people describe it simply as a beach - just east of the Garden Route town of Knysna. The Khoi people, who lived here, called it Noetziekamma – referring to the darkness of the waters of the Noetzie River, into... noetzie information

Oyster Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Oyster Bay

Officially in the Eastern Cape Province, Oyster Bay is at the verge of the beautiful garden Route and is renowned for long stretches of sandy beach and a strong emphasis on nature Oyster Bay is a wonderful place to stay amidst woods, sand... oyster bay information

Plettenberg Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Plettenberg Bay

The town of Plettenberg Bay lies almost on the border of the Western and Eastern Cape. Built on the hillside, most of the town is on a steep slope leading down to the sea, which means that regardless of where you find ... Plettenberg Bay information

Riversdale

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Riversdale

The lovely country town of Riversdale lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains, close to the towns of Still Bay and Witsand. Mountains feature predominantly in the village’s appeal and the well-loved Sleeping Beauty ... Riversdale information

Sedgefield

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Sedgefield

Lying between George and Knysna on the Garden Route and 490 km from Cape Town, Sedgefield is a beautiful seaside village surrounded entirely by lakes, sand dunes covered in fynbos, pine plantations, the Swartvlei ... Sedgefield information

Still Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Still Bay

The little seaside village of Stilbaai or Still Bay lies just off the N2 between Mossel Bay and Riversdale on an estuary where the Goukou River meets the Indian Ocean. Essentially a retirement village and holiday ... Still Bay information

Tsitsikamma

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Tsitsikamma

The incredibly beautiful area of land that lies between the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the sea stretches west to the Bloukrans River and east to Eerste River, and is named after the San word that means ‘place of abundant ... Tsitsikamma information

Victoria Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Victoria Bay

Victoria Bay (or "Vic Bay" as it is called by those in the know) is one of the smallest bays on the Garden Route. Traveling along the N2 National Road, Victoria Bay is 3km off the N2 and situated between George and ... Victoria Bay information

Vleesbaai

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Vleesbaai

The pretty little seaside village of Vleesbaai (or Vlees Bay) lies virtually hidden between the bays of Stilbaai and Mossel Bay, just north of where the Gouritz River joins the sea at the western end of the Garden Route ... Vleesbaai information

Wilderness

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Wilderness

Lying in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains in a region of incomparable beauty, Wilderness is an attractive holiday resort with beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to watch the whales and ... Wilderness information

Garden Route National Park

The new Garden Route National Park, established by SANParks and also known as GRNP, spans an impressive 121 000 hectares and includes the existing Wilderness and Tsitsikamma national parks, the Knysna Lakes area and roughly 52 000 hectares of newly proclaimed land. Still regarded as 'new' the ... more information

Garden Route Wine Estates

The Garden Route produces some fantastic wines. The cool, wet winters and temperate summers (with their own fair share of rains) make for the perfect conditions in which to cultivate a range of red, white and rosé wines. Popular wine farms include Jakkalsvlei Vineyards in the Langeberg ... more information

Garden Route Hiking

The Garden Route is not only significant for its convenience, since it effectively links the Eastern Cape (Storms River) with the Western Cape (Heidelberg), but it is also a tourist destination in its own right. It is home to a number of popular destination towns; such as Knysna, Storms ... more information

Attakwaskloof Pass

The Attakwaskloof Pass lies in the heart of the Outeniqua Mountains, a gravel off-road between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. Most of it runs through the Attakwaskloof Nature Reserve, which forms part of the Outeniqua Nature Reserve and is closed to day visitors but still available ... more information

Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary

The world’s largest single span aviary, just a few kilometres east of Plettenberg Bay in the Garden Route, where birds are free to fly free provides an incredible experience for those who visit, and a wonderful way of life for over 2000 previously caged birds.The completely unique venture of Birds of Eden is... more information

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area lies in the beautiful Langeberg Mountains, over 14 000 hectares that is, in turn, part of the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. It is regarded as a hiker's domain, a great space in which to scale peaks to reach views that are virtually unsurpassable, if clambering up ... more information

Bloukrans Pass

Bloukrans River Bridge, just beyond Nature's Valley in the Western Cape, is famous for its bungi jump, reputed to be the highest commercial bungi in the world at 216 metres. But the Bloukrans Pass is one of several passes found in the Tsitsikamma. These passes are part of the old route ... more information

Bungee Jump at Gourits River Bridge

Bungee jumping in South Africa has earned a global reputation for its claim to having the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. Positioned along the Garden Route, the Bloukrans Bungee Jump will send you plummeting 216m, headfirst, towards the bottom. Because of the extreme height of this ... more information

Cradock Pass

The Cradock Pass, a route over the Outeniquas north of George, has been described by some as 'trecherous'. The adjective more than aptly describes the steep and often dangerous path that rose quickly to a saddle in the mountains and left visible evidence of broken yokes and the blood ... more information

Eden to Addo Biodiversity Corridor

The Eden to Addo biodiversity corridor connects the Western Cape and Eastern Cape with a far reaching dream that underlies the project – that of restoring the ancient elephant migration paths across the Cape, and the effects this would have on the ecological balance of the region. The corridor links the Garden Route National ... more information

Featherbed Nature Reserve

A Natural Heritage site, the Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna is an utterly unique privately owned reserve that lies on the Western Head of the famous landmarks known as 'The heads' in Knysna, accessible only by ferry. Many people make a day of it, catching the ferry across the lagoon, going on a drive or walk ... more information

Formosa Nature Reserve

Just north of Nature's Valley, between the towns of Kareedouw and Misgund, the Formosa Nature Reserve lies inland of what is arguably the most beautiful stretch of coastline in the country - the Garden Route. The Formosa Nature Reserve probably got its title from Bartholomew Dias, as early as 1488, when ... more information

Gondwana Private Game Reserve

Along the Garden Route of South Africa just 4 hours from Cape Town you will find 11 000 hectares of indigenous fynbos and free roaming big 5 game, home to the lion, black rhinoceros, eland, red hartebeest, endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, springbok, kudu, as well as elephant, among others ... more information

Goukamma Nature Reserve

The glorious Goukamma Nature Reserve is one of those unrivalled hideaways that, despite being on the popular Garden Route, manages to remain relatively obscure and unknown - a treasure trove near the mouth of the Goukamma River. Goukamma Nature and Marine Reserve, just 20 kilometres west of Knysna... more information

Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve

Lying in the heart of the Langeberg Mountains, roughly 22 kilometres north-west of Heidelberg in the Cape Overberg, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is exactly as its name denotes - a wonderful large section of forest - 250 hectares of the largest remaining example of indigenous forest in the Langeberg. This ... more information

Kaaimans River Pass

The Kaaimans River Pass connects the towns of Knysna and George on the Garden Route. It lies on the N2, a tarred pass that during the 2006 heavy rains in the area was placed under severe strain when a huge chunk of the pass slipped into the sea, forcing the N2 to close between the two major towns... more information

Keurbooms River Nature Reserve

Head off towards Nature’s Valley from Plettenberg Bay on the N2 and Keurbooms River Nature Valley lies roughly 8 km along the major route of the N2. The beautiful Keurbooms River nature reserve that stretches over a distance of 2500 hectares, is bisected by the Keurbooms River and overlooks the estuary... more information

Knysna Waterfront

The town of Knysna is exquisite, perched conveniently on the Garden Route. It is situated on the banks of a magnificent lagoon, which stretches out to the Indian Ocean at a dramatic point between the towering twin peaks known as The Heads. In the heart of this scenic beauty is the... more information

Lakes Area National Park

Formerly this national park consisted of the Wilderness National Park and Knysna National Lake Area. Because of their proximity and similarities they are currently managed as a single unit. The Knysna National Lake Area is home to the endangered Knysna seahorse and a large diversity of marine... more information

Langkloof Valley

Part of the Cape Fold Belt, the Langkloof Mountains are a short range of mountains that serve as a link between the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua Mountains. In the valley below is an area that stretches for some 160 kilometres that is ideal for growing fruit, particularly apples and pears, but there are other varieties as well ... more information

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary

Monkeyland is the worlds first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary. Monkeyland, is unique in that the sanctuary caters for several species of primate, and they are not caged, they are free to move about the forest, and do so in harmony. Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary is a modern primate sanctuary... more information

Outeniqua Choo Tjoe

One of the few remaining steam trains in the country. Steam enthusiasts are in their element and everyone enjoys the splendid views of lakes, forests, beaches and cliffs on the train's coastal route between George and Knysna. One-way 3 hour trip, Monday to Friday and ... more information

Outeniqua Nature Reserve

Not far from George on the Garden Route, the Outeniqua Nature Reserve lies in the heart of the Outeniqua Mountains, its 38 000 hectares divided up over the impressively solid barrier that separates the high rainfall, and subsequent abundance of the Garden Route, from the miraculously contrasting and arid Little Karoo ... more information

Oyster Bay Reserve

Oyster Bay Reserve is a 330 hectare botanical nature reserve on the outskirts of Mossel Bay. The aim of the reserve is to conserve, preserve and educate by running a series of community projects that include the Bishops Bird Hide and Dam - a local community construction ... more information

Pledge Nature Reserve

This 10 hectare local nature reserve functions as something of a green lung in Knysna, lying as it does just behind Main Road. Made up of forest, wetland and fynbos, Pledge Nature Reserve it is not only beautiful - filled with indigenous plants, cool ponds and streams and a ... more information

Prince Alfred Pass

The Prince Alfred Pass is another built by the indefatigable Thomas Bain, between 1860 and 1867. It was to be one of his biggest challenges, as the road cut through dense forest and climbs 700 metres in just 14 kilometres. The pass links Knysna with the little town of Avontuur on the R62. It is also fairly difficult ... more information

Rein's Coastal Nature Reserve

Pretty and remote Rein's Nature Reserve is a private nature reserve that lies between Still Bay and Gouritzmond on a section of rocky coastline that has managed to remain both incredibly unspoilt and beautiful, its 3550 hectares filled with pristine fynbos and a sense of peace and stillness ... more information

Robberg Nature Reserve

Just outside Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route is a beautiful, remote rocky peninsula touted as the most popular walking destination in and around Plettenberg Bay. Robberg Nature Reserve is a charged booster of outdoor living - incredible scenery, views over shoreline and sea, a thriving Cape fur seal colony... more information

Robinson Pass

The Robinson Pass cuts through the Ruiterbos Valley, linking Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. When it was originally hewn in 1869 the pass was known as the Ruiterbosch Pass (sometimes also called Ruiter bos or Brandwaghoogte, for obvious reasons), as Ruiterbos is regarded as the start... more information

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours

Where: Storms River
How much (per person): On Request

'Me Tarzan, you Jane.' Swing from the treetops across the forest canopy of the place named by the ancient San, Tsitsikamma (place of abundan ... more information

Dine aboard the Paddle Cruiser

Where: Knysna
How much (per person): On Request

The Paddle Cruiser is South Africa's only paddle-driven vessel, offering a unique and unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon. For a u ... more information

Ocean Encounters

Where: Plettenberg Bay
How much (per person): On Request

Our Ecological adventure leaves from Central Beach with an exciting beach launch and heads east past the bird sanctuary and Keurbooms beach ... more information

Pick Strawberries at Red Berry Farm

Where: George
How much (per person): On Request

Pick your own strawberries at Red Berry Farm in George! You can pick strawberries, eat them, drink them all day long, while enjoying the won ... more information

Eden to Addo Hike

Where: Knysna to Addo
How much (per person): On Request

The Eden to Addo hike is considered by some as the longest, if not the toughest hiking trail in South Africa. Regarded as a 'mega' hike, ... more information