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garden route 

The Garden Route is South Africa’s Garden of Eden, a combination of long, deserted beaches and tranquil lagoons, lush green forests and mountain ranges.

Stretching from the Slang River near Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River, the Garden Route is a narrow temperate zone, wedged between the mountains and the sea, and contains a variety of interesting heritage attractions.

The area known as the Klein Karoo is a scenic valley between the Outeniqua and Swartberg Mountains.   Swellendam, 222 km from Cape Town has a rich historical heritage.  The Drostdy, built in 1746, has a unique collection of Cape antiques and is open daily.  The Bontebok National Park, 6 km out of town, is a sanctuary for the bontebok and many other antelope species.  Witsand is situated at the mouth of the Breede River.  The estuary fishing is amongst the best in South Africa.  Between May and November each year, the southern right whales arrive in St Sebastian Bay to mate and calve.  Witsands offers some of the world’s best land-based whale-watching and is also an important breeding ground for the rare blue crane and the African black oystercatcher.  Riversdale, 286 km from Cape Town, has the Julius Gordon Africana Museum which contains antique furniture and paintings.  The Werner Frehse Nature Reserve is on the outskirts of the town. Stilbaai offers a safe and placid coastline, a navigable river and many natural springs.  The peaceful village of Albertinia, at the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains, is the “home of the aloe” and is surrounded by fine examples of Cape fynbos.  Nearby attractions include the Aloe factories, bridge bungi-jumping, and Rein’s Coastal Nature Reserve. Mossel Bay is where the first Europeans landed in Southern Africa more than 500 years ago. Places of interest include the Milkwood tree - the first “Post Office” in South Africa, the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex, which houses the Dias Caravelle, a replica of Bartolomeu Dias’s ship, the Shell Museum and aquarium as well as ingienous garden and braille trail, where fynbos can be observed, touched and smlet. Then there are the Hartenbos Museum, the Harry Giddey Park, and the Cape St Blaize Cave.  The Point, at the tip of Cape St Blaize, is an ideal location to view whales, dolphins and seals at play or swim in a safe tidal pool.  The St Blaize hiking trail is 13.5 km along rugged cliffs with spectacular views.   Seal Island in the bay is the home of countless seals.  George, 443 km from Cape Town, established in 1811 and the centre of the Garden Route, is surrounded by seaside resorts – Glentana, Herolds Bay, Victoria Bay, Wilderness and Swartvlei.  An scenic drive is the “Lakes Road”, which winds between the Wilderness Lagoon, the upper and lower Langvlei, the Rondevlei and the Swartvlei Lagoon.  Attractions include the Gary Player-designed Fancourt golf-courses, the George Golf Course, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train and the Outeniqua Railway museum.

The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train journeys statuesquely through lush vegetation along the stretch of coast between George and Mossel Bay on the internationally celebrated Garden Route.  The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe reflects much of South Africa's railway history.  The historical Outeniqua Choo Tjoe  runs a museum-to-museum tour between George and Mossel Bay.  It starts at the Outeniqua Transport Museum  in George to the Dias Museum in Mossel Bay.  The Choo Tjoe offers its passengers a unique, picturesque and scenic 52 kilometer journey experiencing the Garden Route with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean.  Two major rivers are crossed, the Gwaiing and Malgate rivers.  After crossing the Gwaiing river the railway climbs towards the siding of Skimmelkrans.  After that it winds its way for 4 km’s into the Malgate Valley and crosses the Malgate River high above the river where large roundish holes can be seen in the rock of the river bed.  These holes are the result of flood waters rolling stones over and over in the depressions causing gradual, but noticeable erosion.

From Outeniqua the line begins its descendant to the sea.  As the train twists around a large horseshoe bend, the hillsides fall dramatically towards the sea.  The fist seaside resort to come into view is Glentana.  The view of the Indian Ocean with its foaming waves crashing on to the seemingly endless beach, is breath taking .  The train plunges into a deep cutting and then snakes through the only tunnel on the line.  Emerging again into the sunlight, passengers have an awesome vista which stretches away to the St Blaize lighthouse to the south of Mossel Bay.  At Great Brak it crosses the Great Brak river and crossing the river at Little Brak river the line enters the last major reserve of coastal fynbos.  After Hartenbos station the Voorbaai marshalling yard and railway workshops are passed.  In these workshops the steam locomotives which haul the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe,  are maintained.

Arriving at Munro’s Bay and the Dias Museum complex passengers have the opportunity to visit the Post office Tree, the Maritime museum with a life-size replica of  Dias’s ship inside, the Shell Museum and aquarium, ethno-botanical garden and Braille trail.  Restaurants, souvenirs shops and other facilities are within walking distance.

Many of Transnet's restored steam engines are used and the carriages date from 1903 to 1950.  Trains depart from and arrive at the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George. P O Box 850, George, 6530   Phone: 044 801 8288 Fax: 044 801 8286   E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it    Website: www.transnetheritagefoundation.co.za

Wilderness is an eco-tourist's paradise in the heart of the Garden Route.  Nestling between the warm Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains, the village forms the gateway to the Wilderness Lakes National Park, which is well known for its scenic beauty and abundance of birdlife.  There are a wide range of outdoor activities in the area, including walks on the beach, gentle hikes in indigenous forest, canoeing on the lagoon or even paragliding and abseiling.  For outdoor adventures, contact Eden Adventures  Phone: 044 877 0179  Fax: 044 877 0267  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   Website: www.eden.co.za

Oudtshoorn, known for the Cango Caves and the Ostrich Farms, lies inland over the Outeniqua mountains in the Klein Karoo.  It can be reached via two scenic drives – the Robinson Pass from Mossel Bay or the Outeniqua Pass from George. The Cango Caves, a series of 80 caverns filled with stalagmites and stalactites, situated at the base of the Swartberg, are 29 km from Oudtshoorn.  Conducted tours take place daily.  A tour takes approximately two hours.  The C.P. Nel Museum has exhibits depicting the ostrich/feather era.  “Arbeidsgenot” the home of C J Langenhoven, the Afrikaans poet who wrote the national anthem, is open to the public.  The Klein Karoo Arts Festival takes place annually in March/April.  A trip over the Swartberg Pass to Prince Alfred provides scenic views. Prince Albert,situated at the foot of the Swartberg Pass, is the perfect base for exploring the beauty of the Swartberg, including Gamkaskloof, “Die Hel”, and the spectacular gorge at Meiringspoort.  There are 18 national monument buildings in the village.  Prince Albert is famous for its olives, Karoo lamb, mohair and fruit.

Knysna, founded by George Rex, reputedly the son of George III of England, is situated on the northern side of Knysna lagoon.  At one time a flourishing port, it is now a restful holiday resort.  The Heads are an impressive rocky outcrop where the lagoon enters the sea.  Day excursions from Knysna include: Goukamma Nature Reserve and Buffalo Bay, 22 km – Upper Lagoon, Old Road and Phantom Pass 30 km – Brenton-on-Sea and Belvidere Estate 30 km – Main Forest, King Edward’s Tree, the Glen, Buffel’s Nek, Paardekop, View Site, Wittedrift, Keurbooms River and Plettenberg Bay, Garden of Eden, Bracken Hill Falls 110 km.  The road from Knysna to Plettenberg Bay runs through thick forests and there are turn-offs to Bracken Hill Falls (11 km) and the Garden of Eden, where the trees are marked with identification labels, 16 km from Knysna.  The Harkerville Mountain-biking trail is one of the best in the country.  Attractions include Featherbed Nature Reserve, Sparrebosch Golf Estate on top of the eastern Head, the castles at Noetzie, oysters at the Knysna Oyster Company and the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe.

In Plettenberg Bay, Autumn lasts until July and it has been well named “A Bay for All Seasons”.  It is one of South Africa’s top holiday resorts and for artists and photographers the subject-matter is endless.  From Plettenberg Bay trips can be made to Robberg Nature Reserve, Kranshoek, Pheasant Hoek, the Garden of Eden, Bracken Hill Falls, Noetzie (which has real “castles”), George Rex’s grave, the Keurboom River, Keurboomstrand, Arch Rock and Natures Valley.  The Keurbooms River, 6 km from Plettenberg Bay, is navigable and runs through densely wooded hills.  The small holiday resort of Keurboomstrand is known for its fishing, swimming and scenic walks. 

Natures Valley is a peaceful haven where the Grootriver forms a lagoon.  The N2 passes through the Tsitsikamma forest and over the Storms River, spanned by the Paul Sauer Bridge.  The Garden Route is an adventure tourist’s mecca, and offers paragliding and hang-gliding, bungi-jumping, surfing, mountain-biking, canoeing, sea-kayaking, abseiling, caving and numerous watersports. 
For more detailed information, please contact Garden Route Tourism  Phone: 044 873 6355.  Fax: 044 884 0688.  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Klein Karoo Kananaland Tourism  Phone: 044 272 2241.  Fax: 044 279 2667.  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it