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 Plettenburg Bay © SATOUR The stretch of southern coastline between the town of Mossel Bay
and the Tstsikamma National Park makes up South Africa's
well-travelled 'Garden Route', scattered with popular resort towns.
The coastal plain is backed by spectacular mountain ranges,
offering scenic lakes, indigenous forests, golden beaches and
secluded bays. The main town on the route is George, which is a
bustling commercial centre with some good hotels making it a good
central point from which to explore the coastal region. From George
it is also a short drive inland over the Outeniqua Mountains to
Oudtshoorn, site of the world-renowned Cango Caves and home to
several ostrich farms that welcome visitors to enjoy their
entertaining and educational tours.
Attractions along the Garden Route encompass a wide variety from
historic sites to scenic vistas, and beaches to nature reserves. To
make the most of the area one needs to stray from the national N2
highway and explore the towns, villages and resorts en route. A fun
way of enjoying the scenery is to ride on the Outeniqua Choo-Choo
vintage steam train between George and Knysna. There are also great
recreational opportunities to enthral active holidaymakers, from
bungee jumping and water sports, to hiking trails.
Resorts See our separate guides to the following resorts in Garden Route: Knysna and Plettenberg Bay Attractions
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Mossel Bay
The rather industrialised town of Mossel Bay, about 250 miles
(400km) east of Cape Town, is traditionally regarded as the gateway
to the Garden Route and is famed for being the spot where the first
European set foot in South Africa. The Portuguese explorer,
Bartholomew Dias, came ashore here seeking water after battling a
fearsome storm at sea in 1488. The town now commemorates this event
with the Bartholomew Dias Museum complex in Market Street, which
houses a Maritime Museum and a life-sized replica of the caravel in
which Dias sailed. Mossel Bay has some good beaches and all the
trappings of a seaside holiday town, with cruises available from
the small harbour to view seals, whales and dolphins, and shark
cage-diving adventures. The nearby village of Albertinia sports the
only Aloe factory in South Africa, and visitors can call in to
sample medicinal and skincare products made from this indigenous
plant.
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Website: www.mosselbay.net
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Tsitsikamma National Park
Tsitsikamma is the word of the indigenous Khoi-San people
meaning ‘place of many waters’, which accurately
describes the naturally beautiful thin 50-mile (80km) stretch of
coastline that makes up the Tsitsikamma National Park,
Africa’s oldest and largest marine reserve. The park boasts
many attractions, including a giant Outeniqua yellowwood tree that
is hundreds of years old. The region is criss-crossed by hiking
trails, including the world-renowned Otter Trail, starting at
Storm’s River and running along 25 miles (41km) of
spectacular coastline to Nature’s Valley. A number of private
operators, notably Storms River Adventures, offer numerous
adventure activities in the area such as black-water rafting and
abseiling, mountain bike tours and fishing trips. A particularly
exciting diversion is to undertake a ‘canopy tour’ of
the forest, gliding across the treetops on steel cables strung
between platforms.
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Telephone: 042 281 1607;
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma;
Opening time: Daily 7am to 7pm;
Admission: R80 (foreign adult), R40 (foreign child) per day; South African residents pay R25 per day
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Wilderness
The village of Wilderness, set on the Touws River estuary, is
fast developing with a plethora of luxury holiday homes lining the
cliffs and hills along the long sandy beach and river. It is,
however, a pretty spot surrounded by a chain of fresh-water lakes,
and encompassing the Wilderness National Park with about nine miles
(15km) of inland waterways. There are some wonderful hiking trails
and canoe trips offered through the Park wardens, and numerous
accommodation facilities are available.
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Events
Knysna Oyster Festival
The Oyster Festival has established itself as one of the most
popular annual events in the Western Cape and is a feast for oyster
lovers and sport enthusiasts. Besides the famous mollusc, which can
be sampled in a variety of forms, highlights of the festival
include a mountain bike race, as well as the popular Knysna Forest
marathon and half marathon. Other events include a street carnival,
the Waterfront Food Fair, craft markets and a variety of other
sporting events.
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Venue: Knysna; Date: 4-13 July 2008; Website: www.oysterfestival.co.za |
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