The Garden Route in South Africa - a beautiful coastal route

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The Garden Route is a beautiful stretch of coastline in South Africa, which is very popular to follow by car. We drove along this route during our trip to South Africa, and here we have compiled our top tips for the route.

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Garden Route in South Africa

The Garden Route is a beautiful stretch of coastline in South Africa, extending from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east. It is very popular with tourists and holidaymakers to follow the route by car, to discover all the beautiful places along the way.

We followed the road from east to west during our trip in South Africa, and later flew back to the area from Cape Town, to attend a wedding. Here we present the road from west to east.

Cape Town and places west of the Garden Route

How do you get to the Garden Route? There are various options, but the most common is to fly to Cape Town and start your journey from there. If you have time to see and experience places on the way between Cape Town and the Garden Route, there are plenty of great places to visit:

• Cape Town
• Simon's Town
• Stellenbosch
• Vineyards in Stellenbosch
• The wine train in Franschhoek
• Betty's Bay and Clarence Drive
• Hermanus
• Cape Agulhas - the southernmost point of Africa

1st Mossel Bay

We liked Mossel Bay! This pretty coastal town is at the westernmost end of the Garden Route. Here you can sunbathe and swim at fine sandy beaches or hang out at lovely outdoor cafes. Our favourites were Kaai 4 Braai, Oyster Bar and The Marbled Wagyu.

There is also an interesting museum complex here, in the form of the Dias Museum, which includes a full-scale replica of the Portuguese ship Bartolomeu Dias, which discovered southern Africa in 1488. You can also visit the Cape Saint Blaze Lighthouse, or why not try making your own gin at the Cape Saint Blaze Artisanal Distillery?

Accommodation in Mossel Bay: There are many different hotels and guesthouses to choose from in Mossel Bay. We stayed at Bar-T-Nique Guesthouse, which felt more like a small hotel. Excellent location, good breakfast and helpful staff!

2 George

From Mossel Bay it is not far to the town of George. We hung out here for more than a week, as we were invited to weddings in George. This was not our favourite destination along the Garden Route, perhaps because it is a bit away from the water, but there are still things worth experiencing here.

Among other things, it is popular to drive the beautiful stretch of road The Seven Passes Drive as well as to visit the Garden Route Botanical Garden and the Outeniqua Transport Museum. We also tried the sport of bowls at the Outeniqua Bowling Club. However, the best experience for us was kayaking at Kaaimans Adventures in the Wilderness, where you could paddle to a hidden small waterfall.

Accommodation in George: Most of the time in George we stayed in a rented house, which is great if you are several and plan to stay a little longer. On the night after the wedding we stayed at The Hawthorn Boutique Hotel, which was an incredibly charming and fine boutique hotel.

Detour from the Garden Route: Oudtshoorn

If you have time to take a detour from the Garden Route, it's definitely worth driving to Oudtshoorn. This town offers two major attractions: huge stalactite caves and the largest concentration of ostriches in the world. The Cango Caves are well worth a visit, and here you can take a guided tour of the large, fascinating cave halls.

There are several ostrich farms in and around Oudtshoorn, and we chose to visit the Safari Ostrich Farm, where you can go on a guided tour among the ostriches with a tractor trailer. Both interesting and fun! There is also a restaurant and shop, where you can buy products made of ostrich skins, ostrich feathers or ostrich eggs.

Accommodation in Oudtshoorn: There are many different accommodation options in Oudstoorn, and we chose the one that is probably the most unusual. At the Mount Noah Lodge you can stay in one of several boats on land!

3. Knysna

Knysna, pronounced "najsna", is a really nice town along the Garden Route. Here you will find, among other things, the Knysna Heads, which are perhaps the most famous and most iconic estuary in South Africa. These two 'heads' are separated by about 300 metres of water and form the headlands of two peninsulas that enclose the mouth of the Knysna River.

You can head up the eastern headland to visit East Head Viewpoint. You can also discover Leisure Island, cruise the Knysna Lagoon and shop at the Knysna Waterfront. Or why not visit Thesen Island, which is filled with homes and canals?

Accommodation in Knysna: There are many different places to stay in Knysna, but we can highly recommend Aestas Bed & Breakfast, where we stayed. Very cosy and personal, with good price and good location!

4. Plettenberg Bay

Our favourite part of Plettenberg Bay was the Robberg Nature Reserve. This nature reserve is located on a promontory and offers incredible views. You can choose between different long trails and we took the middle trail (5.5 kilometres) which was absolutely amazing. In addition to the views, the walk offers encounters with seals and birds, and at certain times of the year you can also see whales.

Otherwise, Plettenberg Bay offers long sandy beaches, lively markets, interesting art galleries and cosy restaurants.

Accommodation in Plettenberg Bay: We had actually booked accommodation at Dolphin Circle Bed & Breakfastbut because we accidentally booked the wrong month (!) there was nothing available when we arrived. However, it seemed to be a central, nice and affordable option! At the last second we booked a studio apartment in Whale Rock Guest Housewhich was fine, but without breakfast.

5. Storms River and Tsitsikamma National Park

The Garden Route ends in the east at Storms River. Here you will find Stormsrivier village, which can serve as a starting point for various adventures, as well as Tsitsikamma National Park. This natural area is a lovely destination with beaches, a restaurant and a beautiful walk along suspension bridges.

You'll also find several hiking trails, of which the Otter Trail, which takes five days to hike, is the most famous. In addition, snorkelling, diving, kayaking and adventurous activities such as blackwater tubing and canopy tours are popular.

Accommodation in Storms River / Tsitsikamma National Park: In Stormsrivier village there are several different hotels. When we were here, we stayed in our friends' fantastic summer house, which is nearby. We have written about to rent a house on the coast of South Africa here.

East of the Garden Route

Want to continue your adventures east of the Garden Route? Then we recommend discovering the beautiful coastal towns Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay, which offers a holiday feel with beaches, shops and restaurants.

If you head inland, you can get to the charming and very special little village Nieu-Bethesda, in the semi-desert area of the Karoo. Here you'll find the Owl House, a fascinating attraction filled with artwork, and a fossil centre.

Have you driven the Garden Route in South Africa?

Have you driven the Garden Route in South Africa? Or would you like to? Feel free to tell us about your experiences or thoughts in a comment!

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