The Garden Route is a tourism paradise combining excellent infrastructure with scenic natural attractions. The coastal N2 Highway provides easy access to most Garden Route towns and villages but is far enough inland, in most places, not to spoil the region's mostly rugged coastline. In between towns and villages long stretches of the rugged coastline is only accessible via hiking trials or mountain bike tracks making it a paradise for adventure and nature lovers.

Some visitors complain that the Garden Route is too commercial for their liking. It is true that there is a lot of commercialism around if you stick to the main well-trodden attractions - although calling the Garden Route commercial is really an overstatement. If you are willing, able and have time to wander of the main tourist routes a treasure throve of unspoilt nature awaits you. Because of its popularity the Garden Route does get very busy during South African holidays, especially during the summer holiday in December.

Tsitsikamma & Tsitsikamma National Park
Tsitsikamma is where you will find some of the most pristine forest areas on the whole of the Garden Route, equalled only by the forests in the Knysna area. The forest areas left after extensive deforestation by the early 18th century European settlers in the area are today strictly protected. Most of the indigenous forests in the western section of the Garden Route fall within the Tsitsikamma National Park. The Park not only conserves indigenous flora and fauna but also marine life as it incorporates a marine belt stretching 5.5km into the ocean. The Tsitsikamma area is geared for visitors who prefer simple accommodation, unspoiled nature and active holidays.

Attractions and villages located inside or on the edge of the Park include the Paul Sauer Bridge (spanning the Storms River Gorge); Big Tree (a huge Yellowwood reached via a short forest hike); Storms River Village (base for various adventure activities including black water tubing, abseiling, forest canopy tours, hiking & mountain biking); Storms River Mouth Nature Reserve (log cabin and camping accommodation, hiking trails along beautiful rugged coastline and through coastal vegetation, the beautiful river mouth, restaurant with a view, base for the most popular hiking trail in South Africa - The Otter Hiking Trail); Bloukrans River Bridge (base for highest commercial bungy site in the world - 216m; arts & crafts market); Bloukrans River & Grootrivier Passes (old coastal road descending into scenic gorges rather than passing over N2's high arch-bridges); Nature's Valley & De Vasselot Nature Reserve (rustic coastal village with great coastal and forest hikes as well as a wide sandy beach) and The Crags & Monkeyland (primate sanctuary with informative but enjoyable tours).

Keurbooms and Keurbooms River
Most tourists cross the Keurbooms River enroute to or from Plettenberg Bay almost without noticing it. However, if you have time, exploring this very scenic tidal river is more than worthwhile. A simple ferry operates regular trips; you may also opt to paddle up by yourself.

The village of Keurbooms, also known as Keurboomstrand is not actually located on the River's banks but a short way east of there. It is wedged between the ocean and an overgrown hillside. It features a small sandy beach next to the Arch Rock Caravan Park. The actual Arch Rock is a short walk from there.

Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is sometimes jokingly called "Sandton-on-Sea" because so many of the holiday-home owners come from Johannesburg's affluent Sandton suburb. Plett, as it is affectionately known, is a playground for South Africa's rich and increasingly for the wealthy from elsewhere on the globe. However, it is still accessible to regular travelers.

Attractions include boat-based dolphin & whale watching (in season); hiking at the spectacular Robberg Nature Reserve; the Knysna Elephant Park (located between Plett and Knysna); Monkeyland (15-minutes away); motorised and non-motorised glider flights (over ocean with chance of whale / dolphin sightings); scuba diving; sea kayaking and deep-sea fishing. Reflecting the allure of Plett for the rich and famous it has developed into a premier polo venue for international tournaments.

Plettenberg Bay to Knysna
The ±40km stretch of the N2 (National Route 2) linking Plettenberg Bay and Knysna cuts through spectacular indigenous bush and plantations. A host of arts and crafts outlets are concentrated along parts of the route. More noteworthy attractions on this stretch include the Knysna Elephant Park (a little too zoo-like for our liking but you may enjoy the opportunity to touch and get close to elephants); the Harkerville forestry area (excellent mountain bike tracks and hiking routes through forested areas to remote mountainous shoreline); Garden of Eden (short forest walks) and the Diepwalle Forest ±20km from Knysna and inland from the N2 (excellent hiking and mountain biking routes).

Prince Alfred's Pass offers an alternative day outing for self-drive clients, linking Plett to Uniondale and Knysna via an inland detour of gravel roads and passes. To be on the safe side, enquire about the state of this route from locals before venturing onto it though, especially after heavy rains.

Knysna
Knysna used to be a remote logging town in the middle of a vast forest. Its lake-like estuary provided ocean access to sailing ships through a treacherous channel framed by two rocky promontories, still known as the Knysna Heads. Huge logging operations driven by these first 18th century European settlers caused widespread deforestation before a stop was put to the madness. While vast sections of the forests were lost, beautiful indigenous forests are still found around Knysna.

Knysna is a haven for flea markets, curious, wood furniture and antiques shopping. Knysna "Lake", actually an estuary, supports various boat based activities. The town is the start/end of the railway line used by the very popular Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train, which runs along the coast between it and George ±60km away.

Another popular activity, included in most Afrilux tours, is a ferry trip, and visit to, the privately owned Featherbed Nature Reserve. The Reserve includes the western Knysna Head and visitors get to explore a coastal pathway after a 4x4 tractor / Unimorg ride to the top. For outdoor lovers Featherbed offers some adventure activities and the Knysna Forests is only a short trip out of town. The closest sandy beaches to Knysna are at Noetzie and Brenton-on-Sea.

Knysna's central position makes it a perfect base from which to explore the rest of the Garden Route.

Brenton-on-Sea
Across the estuary from Knysna and on the ocean side you'll find the small holiday village of Brenton-on-Sea. As the village is mostly comprised of private holiday homes most overnight tourists head for the economical Brenton-on-Sea Hotel. The Hotel is ideally located right on the edge of a sandy beach, which stretches a couple of kilometres to Buffels Bay in the distance. Apart from beach hikes and great ocean views with whale sightings in-season the village offers little else. Its greatest asset is probably its proximity to Knysna.

Buffels Bay
The small holiday village of Buffels Bay is located on the coast approx. 30-minutes' drive from Knysna. Its remoteness and non-commercial laid-back atmosphere are its biggest attractions. It is linked by a long sandy beach to Brenton-on-Sea and offers good sea swimming and snorkel diving.

Accommodation is mostly in private holiday homes or a campsite located right on the point of the bay - scenic but very exposed.

Inland salt-water lakes
From Knysna the N2 cuts through the interior as it heads towards Sedgefield, ±20km west from the former. It then leads further to Wilderness some 16km away. Along this route a couple of inland salt-water lakes are found. They are mostly very shallow and are the result of seawater seeping through coastal dune fields.

The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe passes some of these lakes, which are rich in bird life. They are also popular for water activities. The lakes are all called "-vlei", the Afrikaans word for wetland. The more prominent lakes are Groenvlei, Swartvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei ("Green", "Black", "Long" and "Round" -vlei).

Sedgefield
Sedgefield is located in the middle of the Garden Route's inland salt-water lakes and borders Swartvlei. It's not very accessible to tourists and most pass through without realising that the village offers a great unspoilt beach - as it is well hidden from view. It is also very close to the Goukamma Nature and Marine Reserve, which includes Groenvlei. The Reserve offers coastal and inland hikes reaching as far as Buffels Bay which lies just outside its eastern border. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe's route leads right through the middle of town. The steam train stops at the tiny local station making it a viable means of transport to either Knysna or Wilderness and George. Horse rides are offered at close-by Swartvlei (salt-water lake) and the town's ridge line is a popular launch site for paragliders.

Wilderness
The town of Wilderness is also a bit of a rich man's place although much more down to earth than Plettenberg Bay. It lies stretched-out along the shoreline just east of the Kaaimans River. The N2 runs a little too close to the beach here for our liking. However the town offers perfectly placed private residences all along its sandy beach. It also offers one or two hotels and a range of guesthouses. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train stops at Wilderness Station two times daily making it a viable option for traveling between George and Knysna from Wilderness.

Wilderness is backed by Rondevlei around which much of its activities are based. The Wilderness National Park is also very popular and offers economical accommodation in quiet environs. While the Park features good hiking trails and bush vegetation it does not compare to the country's other more pristine and/or remote national parks.

Hoekwil
Hoekwil is located slightly inland from Wilderness in the foothills of the beautiful Outeniqua Mountains. It used to be a bit of an isolated backwater. While still very rustic it has since grown into a very popular retreat for city folk and artists, many of whom have since relocated to it. If you don't mind being a bit further away from the ocean, and prefer down to earth, off the beaten track destinations Hoekwil may just be what you're looking for. It offers peace and quiet as well as great views onto the lakes, rivers, mountains and shoreline of the surrounding area.

Kaaimans River Bridge & viewpoint
The railway bridge spanning the Kaaimans River just west of Wilderness is one of South Africa's tourism icons and is featured in many tourism photographs. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train crosses it on its journey between Knysna and George.

The N2 coastal route passes close by and a viewpoint (Dolphin Point) offers great views of the river mouth, bridge, ocean and the Wilderness Beach to the east. During whale season (August to November) it provides a great vantage point for possible sightings of these marine giants. Dolphins are more common though and seen throughout the year.

Victoria Bay
The small sheltered bay and village of Victoria Bay marks arguably the best swimming point on the Garden Route. The bay features great swells and a sandy beach backed by a grass terrace. It's a family friendly venue with changing rooms and light snacks on sale. One of the attractions of the place is its smallness, which also means that there is very little accommodation available. The village offers a few B&B's and guesthouses, virtually all with great shoreline locations as well as a smallish camping ground. Victoria Bay struggles with huge numbers of visitors in Decembers but tends to be a very quiet spot during the rest of the year. It is also a good whale-watching location (in season).

George
George is set against the spectacular backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains and close to a very scenic coastline. However, the town itself is not very picturesque. Its attraction rather lies in its proximity to other tourist attractions. It is the start/end of the railway line between itself and Knysna on which the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train runs twice daily. The Fancourt Golf Estate and its various golf courses lie on the edge of the town, in 2004 the Estate hosted the President's Cup.

Just beyond George the very scenic Outeniqua Pass cuts through the mountains of the same name to Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo, as do two other historic passes - the Montagu and Voortrekker Passes. George also acts as a gateway into the Garden Route for tourists who can board scheduled flights to the tiny George Airport from amongst others Johannesburg International and Cape Town International Airports.

Herold's Bay
Located a 5-minute drive from George on the nearby coastline the scenic Herold's Bay is somewhat similar to Victoria Bay. Its sea is however not as safe for swimming as the latter although quite good if basic caution is taken. Herolds Bay is reached via a single access road. The village does not offer many accommodation options to tourists as virtually all the houses are private holiday homes. Herolds Bay's most famous fan is pro golfer Ernie Els who recently built a holiday home on the beachfront.

Glentana
West of Herolds Bay, Glentana lies stretched out along a long sandy beach. It is a good place to go for extended beach walks but does not offer much else. Its residents and home-owning holiday makers head there for peace and quite - its not a very active environment.

Groot Brak & Klein Brak
Groot Brak and Klein Brak are neighbouring coastal villages and get their names from the Groot (Afrikaans = "large" / "great") and Klein (Afr. = "small" / "little") Brak (Afr. = "brackish") Rivers that flows through it. These tidal rivers aren't very big but sufficient for limited water sports such as water-skiing. While Klein Brak features limited industries (e.g. a shoe factory) the two towns are once again mainly made up of holiday homes to which middle-class South African families trek from Gauteng and Cape Town during school holidays.

Hartenbos
While the rest of the Garden Route is a mixed bag in terms of South Africans who stay or holiday there Hartenbos is virtually completely Afrikaans and proudly so. The village was annexed by an Afrikaans cultural organisation a few decades ago and turned into an affordable holiday destination for Afrikaans families.

With the final death of Apartheid in 1994 any possibly discriminatory policies were thrown out of the window but the Afrikaans personality of the place is as good as set in stone. This is not only clear from listening to the language spoken by holiday makers and residents but also from entertainment programs offered during holidays, which are thoroughly Afrikaans in its nature. If you speak Dutch or Flemish it means that, with some exposure, you will probably be able to partly follow Afrikaans and you should thus find the place fascinating.

Hartenbos offers a fairly nice sandy beach with good swimming. There are also a lot of facilities on offer including a hot-water spa. However, scenic it is definitely not. To the west huge fuel storage tanks and a small industrial area mark the border between it and Mossel Bay. The many facilities on offer, including a beach restaurant, in our view spoils the tranquility of the place - there's too much concrete and too much tar.

Mossel Bay
In our view Mossel Bay marks the western extremity of the Garden Route although others may include towns such as Gouritsmond and Stil Bay as well. Up-town Mossel Bay offers great ocean views but this is one of the few towns on the Garden Route that's really not very pretty. It has a harbour town feel to it, which it is. Mossel Bay features a small fishing and goods harbour. The harbour is home to a couple of operators who operate bay cruises, mostly to a seal island offshore with opportunities to see dolphins and whales (in season). Some offer shark-cage diving. The only sandy beach, Santos Beach, is close to the harbour, but offers good swimming. Its extension to the east is called Dias Beach, but it is more or less the same beach and too close to a light industrial area for our liking.

Further from the central town area the Point area features a camping ground, entertainment venues (e.g. go-kart racing) and a mid-sized hotel. The Point has a rocky shoreline but is popular with surfers. A scenic cliff-top path starts from a shallow Cave below the Point Lighthouse. While the St. Blaize Trail is recommended care should be taken as it is not paved and there is no protective railing.

Most tourists briefly pass through Mossel Bay to visit the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex. While the Complex's main focus is on honouring Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias - the first to round the Cape of Good Hope during the fifteenth century, it also covers other topics. The Complex includes a Maritime Museum, a Shell Museum, a Cultural Museum and the historic Post Office Tree used by the early seafarers.

Mossel Bay links to Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo via the Robbinson Pass, which cuts across the Outeniqua Mountains.