Discover the Gems of South Africa’s Garden Route

South Africa’s Garden Route is a popular attraction with travellers visiting the country. The Garden Route boasts of unparalleled natural beauty and has varied topography, lush vegetation, and exotic wildlife. The route is even dotted with numerous opportunities for adventure enthusiasts to engage in thrilling outdoor activities. Travellers can have fun along its coasts, experience picture-perfect scenery of lagoons and lakes, trek the rolling hills and mountains, and do lots more at the various attractions along the route. Read on to know about some of the best attractions along the Garden Route of South Africa.

Dias Museum Complex

One of the best museums to visit is the Dias Museum Complex, which is located in Mossel Bay along the Garden Route. This place is famous for a granary of the 1786 Dutch East India Company, a museum of shells with fascinating aquarium tanks, and a museum about the history of the local area. The entire complex has a replica of the caravel used by Dias for the voyage of discovery in 1488.

Plettenberg Bay

Visit the gorgeous Plettenberg Bay to enjoy swimming along its safe beaches and revel in its all-year-round celebratory atmosphere. This is an ideal destination to stop by for beach bums, as it offers scenic views of pristine beaches with warm and safe waters. The bay is surrounded by many world-class golf courses, well-maintained trekking trails, and several nature reserves.

Garden Route National Park

This park consists of the Knysna Forests and Tsitsikamma. As you explore the park, don’t forget to visit its various picturesque lakes, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries that are home to many species of wildlife. A haven for adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers, the park has many well-maintained nature trails meant for people with different levels of fitness. Canoeing, windsurfing, and sailing are some of the popular activities here. The national park also boasts of two camping grounds.

The Crags

Visit the fascinating wildlife sanctuaries of the Crags along the Garden Route. The destination is an ideal place for families. Some of the prominent wildlife sanctuaries here are Elephant Sanctuary, the Monkey land, and the Birds of Eden, which is considered to be the world’s biggest free-flight aviary. Wildlife spotting could not get any better than this in South Africa.

Knysna Lagoon

The Knysna Lagoon is located amidst tall sandstone cliffs, which are popularly called the Heads. The spot offers picturesque views from the eastern and the western sides. One of the best ways of exploring the lagoon is by boat. There are businesses that offer vessels for tourists to travel in. In spite of its stunning and lush beauty, it is interesting to know that the Knysna Lagoon is not a national park or a scheduled reserve and much of it is still owned privately.