South African Hotels

Garden Route Tourism Information

Quick Facts: Garden Route

  • Mossel Bay: The Point Hotel
  • George: Fancourt Hotel, The Links Golf Course, Outeniqua Golf Course, Montague Golf Course
  • Oudtshoorn: ostrich farms, Cango Caves, Cango Wildlife Ranch
  • Knysna: 'The Heads', The Waterfront, Knysna Lagoon, Knysna Elephant Park
  • Plettenberg Bay: Birds of Eden, Elephant Sanctuary Plettenberg Bay, Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve, Monkeyland
  • Beautiful scenery: national parks, lakes, mountains, beaches, cliffs, forests
  • Top 5 star Hotels: Hyatt Regency Oubaai Resort & Spa, Fancourt Hotel & Golf Estate, Pezula Resort & Spa, The Plettenberg Hotel by Liz McGrath, Tsala Treetop Lodge, Hunter's Country House, Simola Golf Hotel & Spa
  • Top Golf Courses: The Links Golf Course at Fancourt, Outeniqua Golf Course at Fancourt, Montagu Golf Course at Fancourt, Pinnacle Point Golf Course, George Golf Course, Plettenberg Bay Golf Course, Knysna Golf Course, Oubaai Golf Course, Goose Valley Golf Course, Simola Golf Course
  • Activities: whale and dolphin watching, sunset lagoon cruises, hiking, mountain biking, body boarding, surfing, swimming, quad biking, game viewing, bungy jumping, sailing, deep sea fishing
  • the Garden Route is a spectacular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa located in the Western Cape Province
  • the Garden Route reaches from Heidelberg to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge
  • numerous lagoons and lakes are located along the coast
  • town of George is the Garden Route's largest city and main administrative centre
  • the Garden Route is set between the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Indian Ocean
  • the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape Fynbos and Temperate Forest and offer magnificent hiking trails and outdoor activities
  • almost 300 species of bird life are home here in a variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands
  • ten nature reserves embrace the varied ecosystems of the Garden Route as well as unique marine reserves
  • the marine reserves are home to soft coral reefs, dolphins, seals and a host of other marine life
  • Southern Right Whale and dolphin viewing
  • Mossel Bay, Garden Route
  • George, Garden Route
  • Knysna, Garden Route
  • Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route
  • Oudtshoorn, Garden Route & Ostrich capital of South Africa
  • Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Train

Introducing Garden Route

The Garden Route is a spectacular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa located in the Western Cape Province.  The Garden Route in South Africa reaches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River, which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape.

The name Garden Route is based on the verdant and ecologically diverse vegetation which can be found in this beautiful region of South Africa.  Numerous lagoons and lakes are located along the coast.  The Garden Route includes towns such as Mossel Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay, George and Nature's Valley.  The city of George is the Garden Route's largest city and main administrative centre.

The Garden Route is set between the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Indian Ocean. The Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape Fynbos and Temperate Forest and offer magnificent hiking trails and outdoor activities. Nearly 300 species of bird life are home here in a variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands.

Ten nature reserves embrace the varied ecosystems of the Garden Route as well as unique marine reserves.  The marine reserves at the Garden Route are home to soft coral reefs, dolphins, seals and a host of other marine life. Various bays along the Garden Route are nurseries to the endangered Southern Right Whale, which come there to calve in the winter and spring from August to December.

Climate of the Garden Route, Western Cape Province (South Africa)

The Garden Route in South Africa has an oceanic climate characterised by mild to warm summers and mild to cool winters.  The Garden Route has the most temperate climate in South Africa and the second mildest climate in the world, after Hawaii, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Temperatures rarely fall below 10ºC in winter and rarely climb beyond 28ºC in summer. Rain occurs year-round, with a slight peak in the spring months, brought by the humid sea-winds from the Indian Ocean rising and releasing their precipitation along the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains just inland from the coast.

 

Towns and cities which form part of the Garden Route, Western Cape Province (South Africa)

The beautiful and scenic Garden Route in South Africa is home to several quaint towns, beach resorts and cities including:

  • Albertina
  • George
  • Great Brak River
  • Hartenbos
  • Heidelberg
  • Knysna
  • Little Brak River
  • Mossel Bay
  • Nature's Valley
  • Plettenberg Bay
  • Riversdale
  • Sedgefield
  • Stilbaai
  • Victoria Bay
  • Witsand.