Garden Route, South Africa

Garden Route, South Africa (1/29-2/6/2023)

South Africa’s Garden Route is one of the most scenic regions in the world offering breathtaking long sandy beaches, beautiful rugged coastline, lakes, lush forests, scenic rocky mountains, and fun activities for everyone. It has a year-round temperate climate and mostly warm ocean water of the Indian Ocean. 

Traveling along good highways (see photo), the Garden Route (N2) is 190-mile long running through the southeastern coast of South Africa between Mossel Bay and Storms River and gets its name from the abundance of lush flora growing along the route. You don’t have to do the whole length to enjoy some of the best things to do like we did.

The Garden Route tourism infrastructure is first-world level. Everyone speaks English, the roads and trails are well-marked and in excellent condition, upscale lifestyle is affordable, the food quality is impressive, people are friendly, and fun and exciting activities are plentiful.

The Garden Route is gorgeous all year round. It is at its best between November and April. Summer (November to April) is a wonderful time to visit South Africa’s Garden Route. It is warm to hot during the day and it is wise to wear light clothing, a hat, and sunscreen during the day and a light sweater may be required at night. Winter (July to September) is generally warm during the day, cool to cold at night. Wear layers of clothing which are easily removed during the day and a warm coat at night.

Because the Garden Route is a popular holiday for South Africans, it is advisable to avoid local school holidays usually from early December to mid-January and from late March through Easter.

Located about half hour from each another, we chose to stay in beautiful Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, a couple of the Garden Route’s best known travel destinations providing a good base for enjoying much the Garden Route has to offer. About 220 miles from Cape Town, they have a rich history, friendly people, gourmet restaurants, and wonderful scenic outdoor attractions that can be enjoyed staying in either one, or both like we did.

Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay (nicknamed Plett) is a premier Garden Route holiday resort destination (see photo) with long picturesque golden beaches with gentle waves and warm Indian Ocean water, the spectacular Robberg Peninsula, beautiful lagoons and estuaries, indigenous forests, and wineries (wine estates). This upscale town gets busy during the Summer and homes sell here for $Millions.

Plettenberg Bay has some of the most beautiful pristine beaches in South Africa. One of the busiest and located in town, Central Beach (see photo), is a family beach with restaurants, bars, public toilets, and lounge chairs and umbrella rentals. The marine adventure companies here are ready to take you on whale watching and swim with the seals. 

Close by Lookout Beach is a popular beach and you can have a meal at the Grand Lookout Deck restaurant on the beach. Robberg 5 Beach (see photo), accessed on Beachy Head Drive, is a beautiful beach with lifeguards and public toilets. Follow the directions when swimming in the Garden Route to ensure your safety.

Many fine restaurants are located in Plettenberg Bay. For a fun beach lunch, we enjoyed the casual beach restaurant Moby’s overlooking Central Beach. Located close to Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route is the highly recommended Bramon Wine Estate restaurant (see photo) set in the vineyards overlooking the Tsitsikamma Mountains.

The Tsitsikamma National Park is Africa’s oldest, largest, and most beautiful Marine Reserve making it a prime Garden Route EcoTourism destination. Adventure seekers will love the diverse range of activities. Alternatively, visitors may simply relax and unwind for a day or two in a supremely tranquil and pristine wonderland of forest, mountain, and sea.

One of the best things to do in the Garden Route is the Tsitsikamma National Park taking the Storms River Mouth Bridge Trail on a boardwalk (see photo) hike through a lush green forest along the unspoiled rocky coastline from the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp to the famous Storms River Suspension Bridge (see photo). There is a degree of fitness required due to the numerous stairs. You can take your time sitting on benches along the way to enjoy the views.

This spectacular Garden Route walk is well worth the magnificent views. Hanging just over 23 feet above the red-brown waters of the Storms River Mouth, the suspension bridge is 254 feet long. There are also two smaller suspension bridges. A conservation fee for entering Tsitsikamma National Park is about $13/person. Multi-day hikes can be made on the Tsisikamma Trail and Otter Trail.

While in the Storms River area, a tranquil 30-minute round trip boardwalk hike is the The Big Tree Hiking Trail (see photo) through a lush forest taking you to the famous 800-year-old Big Tree Tsitsikamma, standing 122 feet high with a 30-foot circumference. Longer trails exist in this Garden Route area if you would like to continue hiking. For a unique experience, drop into the Storms River Village to enjoy lunch at Marilyn’s 60’s Diner.

The Garden Route’s world-heritage Robberg Peninsula Nature Reserve (see photo) offers visitors the chance to hike some exciting trails witnessing seals, birds, and coastal vegetation. The three circular routes available vary in terms of distance and difficulty and range of time from 30 minutes to a four-hour hike. All offer fantastic views, brisk sea air, and sightings of birds. There are rocky steps along the way that require some sense of balance as well as some elevation changes. We took the shortest 30-minute Gap Circuit Trail. Permits may be purchased at the reserve office at the entrance.

For an easy short hike, the Garden of Eden Trail (see photo) is located between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. It is a level boardwalk hike through the beautiful fern covered indigenous forest. So nice!

The Birds of Eden is the largest single-dome free flight aviary in the world with natural forests, streams, and dams (see photo). Garden Route visitors can observe almost 3,500 previously captive birds of over 200 different species flying free and living natural lives among 100’s of different plant and tree species. There are giant fruit bats, golden-handed tamarins, and the smallest of the antelopes, blue duikers. Visits to Birds of Eden are self-guided and you are free to wander for as long as you wish at your own pace.

Garden Route adrenaline sports around Plettenberg Bay include zip-lining through the forest canopy or bungee jumping from the world’s highest commercial bungee jump (713 feet) at the Bloukrans Bridge (see photo).

Whales can be seen in the Garden Route at Plettenberg Bay from mid May to February with the southern right whales around from June to November, the migratory humpback whales arrive with their calves early November and stay until the end of February and seen again during May and June. Robberg Peninsula Nature Reserve is a good place to see them and you can book whale boat tours.

We enjoyed our Garden Route stay in Plettenberg Bay at the Periwinkle Guest Lodge with sweeping views of break-taking Robberg 5 Beach. The staff makes a custom breakfast for you and the service is great.

Knysna

With its beautiful lagoon surrounded by forests and mountain backdrop, the beautiful Garden Route gem Knysna (pronounced ‘ny-znah’) has a laid-back feel with great waterfront shops and seafood restaurants. We enjoyed a combination seafood lunch at the Drydock and dinner at 34 South at the waterfront (see photo). Sirocco is very nice. 

A Garden Route restaurant not to be missed is the East Head Cafe (see photo), located on the Knysna’s East Head, for its incredible views from its outdoor deck overlooking the lagoon and ocean (see photo). 

Also not to be missed is the beautiful The Heads (see photo) at the Knysna River Mouth of the Knysna Lagoon (Knysna River Estuary). Beautiful rocky cliffs border the Knysna Lagoon and the Indian Ocean. The Knysna Lagoon is a bird estuary along the Garden Route coastline popular with water sports enthusiasts including fishermen. 

Boats and canoes can be hired to explore the Garden Route Knysna Lagoon and The Heads as well as the beaches and bays along the way. From the Waterfront, we had a fun time taking the Heads Explorer catamaran for a lagoon boat ride to The Heads (see photo).

A beautiful white-sandy Blue Flag beach is located at Benton-on-Sea (see photo), a short drive from Knysna, with the ocean on the one side and fynbos-covered dunes on the other. This Garden Route beach is safe to swim in certain areas – be careful of rip currents.

The westernmost headland is a private nature reserve, called Featherbed, and can be reached by a short ferry ride across the lagoon. We also enjoyed driving around Knysna’s quiet residential suburb Leisure Isle (also known as Leisure Island). It is surrounded by the Knysna Lagoon and ringed by a chain of picturesque hills. Sitting on Bollard Bay beach was lovely with stunning views to The Heads. Leisure Island is linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway.

The Knysna Elephant Park offers guests the unique opportunity to interact with the elephants up close and personal (see photo) and even have a sleepover with them while visiting the Garden Route. It was the first facility in South Africa to house and care for orphaned African elephants.

We found it fabulous staying at the Villa Afrikana Guest Suites in Knysna (see photo). The beautiful rooms have fabulous panoramic views of the Lagoon and Heads (see photo). Breakfast in the morning served on your balcony or your room is some of the best we have ever had. Their service is over the top and the complimentary afternoon tea and happy hour is wonderful. This is the affordable luxury B&B you are looking for while visiting the Garden Route.

Click on this excellent link for attractions, restaurants, and other information in the Garden Route around Plettenberg Bay and Knysna provided by Villa Africana Guest Suites where we stayed. Do have a look.

Driving is on the left-hand side of the road and 10% tipping in Garden Route restaurants.

A word about ‘Load Sharing’ in South Africa… periodically electricity is lost randomly day and night in the Garden Route. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc. are prepared for this because it happens daily. Commonly there is a light powered by a battery that you can turn on (we could read with it) and some places.have backup generators. It would be good to bring a small flashlight to use at night.

While visiting South Africa’s Garden Route, do enjoy the many things to do in this area including others not included in this post. HAVE FUN!