Welcome to Knysna at the Garden Route of South Africa
Between Mossel Bay and Storms River, the Garden Route runs along to the coastline of the Indian Ocean.
In the immediate vicinity of Knysna you will find lakes, mountains, fascinating forest, clean rivers and golden beaches.
Knysna is located in the Heart of the Garden Route and attracts many travelers from around the world .
A wide selection of leisure facilities, exceptional scenery and a mild climate guarantees an unforgettable holiday
experience in Knysna. The coastal town with about 75.000 inhabitants is the most popular tourist destination of South Africa.
Several times the town of Knysna won a award for the most beautiful city in South Africa.
Knysna is surrounded by a 160 kilometer large forest belt, which is home to the last free-roaming forest elephants.
The Garden Route National Park offers plenty of beautiful hiking trails through the unique nature.
Often you will find braai places amidst the National Park, because grilling is a great passion of South Africans.
Anyone who enjoys to hike or like a mountain bike trip, may join our walks and excursions in the surroundings of Knysna.
We go for nature walks regularly and know many beautiful hiking trails in the Garden Route National Park.
The Knysna Lagoon is one of the world's few coastal areas where oysters are bred. Each year in July,
the Knysna Oyster Festival takes place, have fun with tourists from around the world in Knysna and be convinced of the quality
of the oysters. The city center of Knysna has a nice downtown with many shops, restaurants and pubs and a small waterfront with
the opportunity for boat trips on the lagoon.
(Picture left: Knysna Quays, Picture right: Beach at Buffelsbaai near Knysna)
Knysna is home to many artists, so that the visitors have the choice to shop items at numerous art studios and shops of handicrafts,
wood, leather and feather work. Knysna offers sport enthusiasts a various range of activities - especially golf and water sports.
Knysna is surrounded by 3 golf courses, including 2 world-class golf courses - Simola and Pezula.
Many golfers come primarily because of the fantastic and reasonably priced golf courses in Knysna and play golf admidst of the
beautiful nature of the Garden Route National Park. Knysna also offers the opportunity for sailing, water skiing, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing,
paragliding, horseback riding, abseiling and bike trips in a breathtaking environment.
Under no circumstances should you miss out one of the most diverse offerings of the Safari Garden Route National Park in
Buffalo Hill and the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve. The opportunity to feed and get in touch with free-living elephants can be experienced at the Knysna Elephant Park.
Fantastic dolphin and whale watching tours are offered in Plettenberg Bay - 35 kilometers away from Knysna.
Worth seeing are the snakes, monkeys and bird parks along the Garden Route and in the close vicinity of Knysna.
The Birds of Eden Bird Park is a huge aviary, so large that one has the feeling that the birds live in freedom.
Birds of Eden accommodates lots of exotic, and many native birds, such as the Knysna Loerie, which is only native around Knysna.
You want to see the main cat species of South Africa and even stroke a Caracal or Cheetah?
Then visit Tenikqwa in the Garden Route National Park.
The Heath is a recreation center for birds of prey in the area of Knysna and also worth a visit.
Day trips & attractions surrounding Knysna
Go on board at the Knysna Waterfront and take a boats tour on the Knysna Lagoon passing the Featherbed Nature Reserve.
The Featherbed Nature Reserve offers a beautiful overview from the montain, a open cable car leads up to the top.
On the way back a well maintenanced hiking trail leads back down through evergreen fantastic nature of the Garden Route National Park.
Don't forget your camera equipment and miss some great pictures to take home.
The hiking trail will finally ends back at the Knysna Lagoon, where you find a the Featherbed Restaurant to have a well-deserved lunch.
After you are finished your lunch a boat will take you back to the historical Knysna Waterfront.
Since a heavy thunderstorm two years ago, unfortunatly the railway track between Knysna and George is interrupted.
The Outeniqua Tsoe-Tsoe - a historical steam engine train leads on the railway track through the most beautiful landscape of the Garden Route National Park.
Die Strecke führt durch eine außergewöhnliche Landschaft und wird mit einer historischen Dampflok,
The gouvernement of Knysna and George are taking actions, so that the Outeniqua Tsoe-Tsoe will be back on the track as soon as possible.
At low tide you can take a beautiful beachwalk from Brenton on Sea around the Knysna Heads to Buffelsbaai.
The sandy beach in Buffelsbaai is 7 km long, as you arrive Buffelsbaai you should have a drink and enjoy the amazing view on the indian Ocean and the Knysna Heads.
On your way back to Brenton on Sea you can experience one of the fantastic South African Suntsets.
If you head back to Cape Town or you travel in wester direction take the Route 62 and visit Oudtshoorn -
the ostrich capitol of South Africa. Oudtshoorn is situated in the Heart of the Little Karoo with its popular ostrich farms
and the so-called ostrich palaces. Take the chance to visit one of the ostrich show farms or even better stay at the private owned
ostrich guest farm - Straussennest - hosted by Carmen and Dario Urbanski. (Link: Straussennest Ostrich Farm)
Experiences South African farmlife surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes of the Little Karoo.
Watch the breathtaking star-spattered sky at night and feel the karoo soul.
Once you are in Oudtshoorn don't miss the famous Cango Caves or the Cango Wildlife Farm at the outskirts of Oudtshoorn.
The Cango Wildlife farm offers a variety of animals ranging from Crocodiles, different species of snakes, iguanas, flamingos to bengal tigers, jaguars, lions and cheetahs.
The predators roaming in large compounds and visitors can watch them from a close distance by walking on the boardwalks.
The adventurous vistor will have the opportunity to get in touch with the cheetahs.
Before you leave Oudtshoorn make sure you have seen the unique Swartberg Pass leading through canyons and beautiful landscape with a overview on the Little Karoo.
After you left the Swartberg Pass the road leads up north(N1) to the picturesque town of Prince Albert.
Follow the road in southern direction and you will travel through the impressive Meiringspoort canyon and the village of De Rust back towards the R 62 scenic route.
The surroundings of Knysna are perfect for mountainbike enthusiasts - one of the various mountainbike trails leads from
Knysna to George and from there up the "Outeniqua Power Van" into the Outiniqua mountains.
A unforgetable experience for mountingbiker with 6 tunnel, waterfalls, mountain passes and fantastic landscapes.
If you don'T bring yur own bike, you can rent a mountainbike and enjoy the tracks all over the area.
The Tsitsikamma National Park is a 80 min drive from Knysna, the 70km long coastline stretches along the Garden Route
and offers a unique nature experience - a paradise for hikers.
If you drive to Storms Rivers Valley amidst the Tsitsikamma forest, you should do a Canopy Tour(Treetop Gliding).
Platforms are on in the top of trees connected by long steel cables and the visitors slide along to reach the next platform.
The more adventurous traveler can visit the Bloukrans Bridge with its - World highest Bridge Bungy Jump right into the Storms River Canyon.