“So where is the Garden Route?” you might ask. It is a 200 km section of the South African coastline that stretches from the town of Mossel Bay to the other side of the Tsitsikamma National Park. I recently took some time to revisit the Garden Route, this time to investigate what fun and exciting things to do on the Garden Route. It is a fabulous destination and definitely a “must see” for anyone visiting South Africa. To sum up the Garden Route, I would call it “South Africa’s Mecca for golf and outdoor adventure activities!” I have put together some suggestions for your trip along the Garden Route here.

Scenic Routes: Well, there are a couple of lovely scenic routes on the Garden Route and depending on how much time you have and where you are staying the night, you could include them in your itinerary.

1. Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort near Oudtshoorn – a beautiful day trip to enjoy with a picnic lunch stop at a beautiful waterfall in Meiringspoort, spectacular mountain scenery and panoramic views.

2. Seven-Step Trail, the original George-Knysna trail – dense Indian forest, tannin-rich blackwater rivers, rugged gorges, and prolific bird life.

3. Montagu Pass: traversing the majestic Outeniqua Mountains between George and Oudtshoorn, the original route built in 1848 with convict labor.

Mossel bay

Shark Cage Diving – An exhilarating experience that I would recommend to anyone! Mossel Bay has the world’s most accessible great white shark experience, offering a shorter, more comfortable boat ride in calmer waters than the competition in Gansbaai, near Cape Town. You will leave with a new respect for these magnificent predators.

Oudtshoorn – a great place to visit, especially if it rains elsewhere on the Garden Route. Oudtshoorn is the capital of Little Karoo, which is classified as semi-desert, so you can count on the weather to be quite good for most of the year.

Cango Caves: an underground wonderland with the most spectacular drip formations

Cango Ostrich Farm – Learn about the ostrich farming industry that made Oudtshoorn famous, and take an ostrich ride.

Cango Wildlife Ranch – a sanctuary for endangered wildlife species. Get up close to a cheetah or dive with the crocodiles.

Wilderness – A laid-back seaside town offering a variety of outdoor activities including paragliding, canoeing on the Touws River, hiking trails through enchanted indigenous forests, kloofing, and rappelling.

Knysna – a bustling little town with so much to offer!

I can recommend the 4-hour eco-experience at Featherbed Bay, which includes a boat ride on the lagoon, a guided tour of the nature reserve, a tractor-trailer ride, and a delicious lunch in an elegant restaurant under the old milk trees. .

Quad biking, mountain biking in the Harkerville and Knysna forests, rappelling in the Knysna Heads, canoeing on the Knysna River, hiking in the Knysna forest

Plettenberg Bay – Another bustling town to include on your itinerary offering a great selection of outdoor activities, something for the whole family. Many activities are also offered for children.

Elephant sanctuary – where you can walk with these gentle giants and even ride one

Birds of Eden – a magnificent display of birds from around the world!

Monkeyland – fascinating and informative!

Adventure activities such as sea kayaking, canoeing on the Keurbooms River, boat cruises to see marine life such as dolphins, seals and whales in season (July to December)

Skydiving, rappelling, hiking in the Robberg nature reserve, Bunji jump from Bloukrans bridge (highest bunji jump in the world at 216m)

Plett has become known as the “polo mecca” of South Africa. Exciting polo tournaments are played at Bitou House and Kurland during Easter, December and January with polo practices throughout the year.

Tsitsikamma National Park

The Big Tree – The largest Outeniqua Yellowwood tree in the area with a circumference of 8.5 m and a height of 36 m. This is one of the largest tree species we have in South Africa and one of the most beautiful in my opinion.

Tree Top Canopy Tours – Offers a fun and adventurous cable that glides from one large tree to the next, a great way to get to know our beautiful indigenous forest and its little inhabitants!

Hiking trails along the rugged coastline

Virgin beaches

Of course, don’t forget that this entire stretch of coastline has a host of beautiful beaches, most of them with “blue flag” status. Heralds Bay, Glentana and Victoria Bay near George, Wilderness Beach, Buffels Bay, Noetsie Bay, Plettenberg Bay and Natures Valley all offer the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and beautiful stretches of golden sand. This makes the Garden Route a great summer destination!

Golf is a great activity on the Garden Route with some of the best golf courses in the world based here such as the Fancourt Country Club Estate offering 4 courses built by Gary Player, our South African golf icon, George Golf Course, Simola Golf Estate , Pezula Champioship. Golf course offering the most spectacular scenery, Knysna Golf Course and Goose Valley Golf Course at Plettenberg Bay.

So all in all a great destination to include in your itinerary when visiting our beautiful South Africa!