Garden Route | Garden Route |
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The entire Garden Route is characterised by golden beaches, green mountains, flowing rivers, calm estuaries, and lush forests. The region enjoys a Mediterranean-type climate, with warm summers and pleasantly mild winters; ideal for a visit at any time of the year.
The Garden Route begins at Mossel Bay in the south and extends for over 200km to the Tsitsikamma Forest in the east. On its meandering way it passes through Sedgefield, George, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
Each of these towns is worth a few hours of your time, or longer if you can spare it. Sedgefield Sedgefield is set at the foot of pine-plantation hills, right along the sea. Alongside Sedgefield is the Swartvlei (Black Lake) which is one of the largest natural inland salt-water lakes. Just a few suggestions of things to do here: you can take a walk or a horse-ride through the forests, you can enjoy time spent on the beach, and you can take a peddle-boat onto the vlei. George Though not directly on the coastline, George is the largest town on the Garden Route. It was established below the awesome Outeniqua Mountain range, and is surrounded by rivers, farmlands and forests. A visit to George is not complete without a trip on the world famous ‘Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe’. This steam train is presently running between George and Mossel Bay, and no longer between George and Knysna due to maintenance on that section of the train line. The route followed by the train is a scenic wonderland – and worth a day spent traveling in the transport mode of old. Wilderness Wilderness is one of those places that, even to local residents, feels like a holiday town. There is a permanent air of relaxation about the place that communicates itself though the friendliness of the residents. Set between the sea, a nature reserve, and a river this is probably the most tranquil town on the Garden Route. Knysna Where does one begin when trying to describe Knysna? From “The Heads’ (a striking geological formation) at the entrance from the sea to the estuary, to the magic that is the indigenous Knysna Forest, you will be amazed at all that Knysna has to offer. It is the heart of the Garden Route and its natural beauty and vibrancy inspires the creative side of most people. This must be why it is home to artists and authors and other creative folk. Plettenberg Bay Popular with local and international visitors alike, ‘Plett’ is an exceptionally fashionable place to take your holiday. From eco-tourism to Polo, Plettenberg Bay has something for everyone. Tsitsikamma The Tsitsikamma has been referred to as ‘the garden of the Garden Route’, which is probably the most apt description. The name is KhoiSan for ‘place of many waters’. The forest here is home to protected Yellowwood, Ironwood, Stickwood and other trees – you can take a walk into the forest to visit The Big Tree, which is a majestic Yellowwood tree estimated to be more than 600 years old. In conclusion, The Garden Route should be visited at leisure as there is so much to explore and do. You can base yourself at one place, as almost everything is within a short distance, or you can stay at various locations and thereby get a taste of some (or all) of the many destinations in this slice of paradise. If you are simply passing through, make sure you have your camera ready to capture even just a moment of the splendour of the area. |

The name alone evokes images of tall trees providing shade from the sun, colourful wild flowers providing a visual feast, and as a bonus: some of the most beautiful coastline South Africa has to offer. 









