The Garden Route: coast, forests and wide-open skies

From Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to Storms River in the Eastern Cape, roughly 300 kilometres take you past lagoons, beaches, indigenous forests and dramatic cliffs. It is a coastal road trip through four very different landscapes—not a stretch to rush through in one day.

Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn bring the coast and the Karoo together: walk the St Blaize Trail, look out for whales, visit the Cango Caves or explore the ostrich farms around Oudtshoorn.

Wilderness and Sedgefield offer lagoons, quiet beaches and green hiking trails, including the Half-Collared Kingfisher Trail and canoe trips. Around Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, explore the Knysna Heads, take a boat trip on the lagoon, walk in Robberg Nature Reserve or relax on Plett’s white-sand beaches.

Tsitsikamma and Storms River bring the wilder finale: suspension bridges, coastal forest and kayaking, as well as Africa’s highest commercial bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge.

The Garden Route rewards slow travel: hike, paddle, dive, climb—and stop whenever a view catches your eye. Highlights include the Robberg Coastal Trail, Knysna Lagoon, kayak trips on the Keurbooms River and the suspension bridges in Tsitsikamma National Park.

Allow five to ten days, depending on your pace and activities. Cape Town is a natural starting point, and the region is particularly well set up for self-drive travellers. Do not leave valuables visible in the car; consider combining the route with Addo Elephant National Park.

Cape Town → Mossel Bay → Wilderness → Knysna → Plettenberg Bay → Tsitsikamma.

Plan at least five days. With ten days, you have time for hikes, spontaneous stops and a detour to Oudtshoorn or Addo Elephant National Park.