WHAT AWAITS YOU ON THE GARDEN ROUTE?

The Garden Route is a 300-kilometre (190 mi) stretch of the south-eastern coast which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from the verdant and ecologically diverse vegetation encountered, excellent beaches, while inland you’ll find picturesque lagoons and lakes, rolling hills and eventually the mountains of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma.

It includes towns such as Mossel Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay, Nature's Valley and George. High on the must-see lists of most visitors to South Africa is the Garden Route, and with good reason: you can’t help but be seduced by the glorious natural beauty and ever growing list of incredible activities. In 2017 the Garden Route was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

FACTS

Western Cape province of South Africa.
The capital is Cape Town.

George Airport [George]
Port Elizabeth International Airport [Port Elizabeth]
Cape Town International Airport [Cape Town]

The Route is sandwiched between the aforementioned mountains and the Indian Ocean, with mountain passes, including the Outeniqua Pass, linking the area with the arid Little Karoo. The Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape Fynbos and Temperate Forest and offer hiking trails and eco-tourism activities. Nearly 300 species of birdlife are to be found in a variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands.

It has an oceanic climate, with mild to warm summers, and mild to cool winters. It has the mildest climate in South Africa. Rain occurs year-round with an average yearly rainfall of 770mm. The winter months run from May to August [low season] while the summer runs from September to April [high season]. The summer averages 26C [78F] while winter temperatures average 19C [66F].

English, Afrikaans and Xhosa

Rand [ZAR]
US Dollars are not accepted.
Foreign exchange services are available in big cities and airports.

Mountain biking & hiking
Whale watching
Water based activities