Garden Route holidays

If you’re driving west-to-east, Mossel Bay is where your Garden Route road trip will begin. It’s pretty much exactly half way between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and boasts Blue Flag beaches, adrenaline-pumping activities and a great dining scene. And, with 320 sunny days a year, this harbour town gives you plenty of opportunity to make the most of it all.

There’s a lot to see in historic Mossel Bay. Visit the 800-year-old Post Office Tree, where a stranded Portuguese sailor once wrote an account of his shipwreck disaster, and left the note hanging on the tree, tucked inside an old shoe. Explore the Maritime Museum and the Cultural History Museum, or go on a cave tour and see rock art dating back 27,000 years.

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are a range of activities on offer, including shipwreck diving, skydiving and mountain biking. Or, for something gentler, find a sunny spot along the 60-kilometre stretch of beaches, relax in one of Mossel Bay’s top-notch coffee shops, or tuck into a plate of fresh seafood.

In the very heart of the Garden Route, Knysna – pronounced ‘ny-zna’ – is probably the most famous town on the map. It gets very busy here during high season, but it should definitely be on your list.

Surrounded by indigenous forest and the Outeniqua Mountains, this little town is very picturesque. The highlight is Knysna Lagoon. Flowing through two distinctive cliffs known as ‘The Heads’, this calm stretch of water is perfect for kayaking and paddle-boarding, or you can head out on a sailing trip.

Or walk through Knysna’s forests, where you’ll see hundreds of plant species and some beautiful birds. After a day exploring, take your pick from the restaurants in the harbour area and along the waterfront – no trip along the Garden Route would be complete without trying some of Knysna’s world-famous oysters.

To experience Knysna at its very best, time your holiday to coincide with the 10-day Knysna Oyster Festival at the end of June. As well as the headline-grabbing oysters, the festival has a packed activity programme, including forest hikes, wine-tasting, live music and comedy shows.

Nicknamed ‘Plett’ by the locals, this is where Capetonians come for a few days on the beach. And who could blame them?

With its bright blue waters and sweeping gold sands, Plettenberg Bay looks like a postcard. It has 11 beaches, five of which have been award Blue Flag status for their pristine sands. Of all the award-winning beaches, Robberg Beach is best for surfing, The Dunes is the best spot for dolphin-watching, and Lookout Beach is great for families. Have your photo taken by the rocky arch of Keurbooms Beach, and paddle in the shallow waters of Nature’s Valley.

Away from the beach, there’s plenty more to see. Visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary – the only free-roaming primate sanctuary in the world – and see more than 3,500 birds at the world’s biggest free-flight aviary, Birds of Eden. Or you could go for a coastal walk through Robberg Nature Reserve. The trails range from 45-minute strolls to five-hour hikes, so you can choose which option is best for you.

When planning your Garden Route holiday, you’ll probably want to book-end your road trip with some time elsewhere in South Africa. Whether you’re interested in wine or wildlife, you’ve got several choices.

If you’re keen to go on a safari during your trip to South Africa, head east towards Port Elizabeth and the game reserves of the Eastern Cape.

You can go searching for the ‘Big Five’ in places like Kariega Game Reserve and Shamwari Game Reserve, and see hundreds of elephants at Addo Elephant National Park.

Alternatively, you could travel west from Mossel Bay and go whale-watching in Hermanus, and then enjoy a wine-tasting tour in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek. Finally, you’ll reach the incredibly city of Cape Town, where you can go to the top of Table Mountain, go beach-hopping along the coast, and see a wild colony of penguins.