The Garden Route

The salty morning air greets you as you step out to start a brand new day on the Garden Route, exquisite seaside views extend in both directions and the cool breeze invites you to explore.

You set out towards the centre of the quaint and picturesque town nearby, drawn by the gentle buzz of the various restaurants and cafés coming to life as they prepare for their morning customers. Locals and tourists alike are invited in by the fragrant aromas of coffee and freshly baked goods. A quick pit stop allows you to fuel up for the day, while you gain some valuable local insights from the owner of the café as they froth the milk for your delicious cappuccino.

Heading out of town the scenery begins to change, store fronts filled with artisanal foods and locally created crafts give way to beautiful fynbos and all the wonderful flora of the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Truly unique in every way, there is nowhere else on earth that these specific types of plants exist.

Tell me more

The Garden Route is a magnificent stretch of South African coastline that extends for 300 kilometres (190 miles) along the country’s south eastern coast, from Witsand in the Western Cape to Storms River in the Eastern Cape.

Drawing its name from the lush vegetation that occurs along this ecologically diverse coast, the region is famed for the incredibly beautiful indigenous flora that is found between the various lakes and estuaries. A number of quaint coastal towns and cities are
dotted along the Garden Route, including Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Mossel Bay and Sedgefield, amongst others.

Nestled between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, the Garden Route is connected by mountain pass to the arid Little Karoo. Indigenous forests in this region are made up of a unique combination of Temperate Forest and Cape Fynbos, and are popular destinations for eco-tourism and hiking. Fynbos is endemic to the Western Cape region and can only
be found here. Consisting primarily of the Protea, Erica and Restio families of plants, Fynbos resembles wildflowers and provides colour to the region all year round. 

In terms of wildlife the Garden Route’s various parks are host to around 85 species of mammals including elephant, bushbuck, blue duiker and baboon. The coastal nature of the region allows for sightings of southern right whales, dolphins and great white sharks. Made up of a variety of habitats including fynbos, wetlands and forest, the Garden Route is also home to almost 300 species of bird.
The Garden Route was recognised for its balanced relationship between people and nature through its inclusion into UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2017.

When should I go?

The Garden Route has the second mildest climate in the world and the mildest climate in South Africa due to its oceanic climate, which consists of mild to warm summers and mild to cool winters. With temperatures rarely exceeding 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer or falling below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter, the Garden Route is considered to be a
year round travel destination. Rainfall on the Garden Route can occur at any time of year, but has a slight peak late in spring from October until November.

If you are planning a beach holiday the warmest months are November through until April, although the coastline can become fairly busy over December due to school holidays. If you prefer fewer crowds the best time for a beach holiday would be between February and April, while the weather is still warm, and most people have gone home at the end of their holiday season. The best time for a
whale watching vacation runs from July until October, during the migratory period of the southern right whale. The Garden Route is a popular destination for hiking, cycling and other outdoor activities at any time of year.