Planning your next road trip along the Garden Route? Consider these four must-see pit-stops along the N2. You might even be enticed by an activity or two...

1. Mossel Bay

If you’re looking for a bustling holiday town and port, Mossel Bay’s the place. Its set on the sun washed slopes of Cape St Blaize. The backdrop of the Bay is the Outeniqua Mountains.

Mossel Bay lies halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. It’s close to the towns of Swellendam, Outdshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna on the Garden Route. So it’s great for a stopover.

If mild weather’s what you’re after, you’ll experience the second best all-year climate in the world. It’s a record held in the Guinness Book of Records, second only to Hawaii.

Make your road trip pit stops by booking this Garden Route package deal now!

So with perfect weather, you can explore the beaches of the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Check out the very first Post Office in South Africa. It dates back all the way to the1500s. It came about when a man named Pedro de Ataide left a letter in a shoe under a milk wood tree. Today the ancient Post Office is a national monument and mail is still sorted here.

The Old Post Office Tree
C/o of Church and Market street
Tel: 044 691 1378

Amongst the surfing fraternity, Mossel Bay is on par with Jeffreys Bay and Port Elizabeth. Catch a wave at Outer Pool, its Mossel Bay’s most famous wave. Try deep-sea fishing. It’s a great activity for the whole family or your best buds.

The assistance enables even young children to land big fish. This is due to the abundance of bottom species. So you’re more than likely inclined to make a catch.

Mossel Bay Deep Sea Adventures
Tel: 072 454 2988
Email: deepseaadventures@etime.co.za

2. George

George lies just 420 km from Cape Town and 320 km from Port Elizabeth, so it’s a great point from which to explore the Garden Route.

Expect a town with a laidback approach. It allows you to easily enjoy the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Do some exploration of your own. It offers cool views over George and the coast and the indigenous fynbos of the area. Choose between three routes.

The Groene Weide forest walks, which starts at Saasveld College at the northern point of one of the golf courses. There’s also the George Peak and Cradock’s Peak trails. Mind you, they’re quite difficult walks. But the views are well worth it.

See George on a quad bike. Tours range from a 25-minute introductory route through beautiful valleys to overnight action deep in the wild. You can also ride on a Private Eco Game Reserve, or enjoy the historic Montagu Pass Quad adventure. There’s even the Outeniqua Nature Reserve to venture into.

Quad Garden Route
Tel: 072 303 9011
Email: info@quadgardenroute.co.za

3. Wilderness

If whale and dolphin watching is right up your alley, then the Wilderness has great vantage points.

Wilderness has views of the sea, the placid lagoon (Touw River Estuary), the Serpentine, which meanders between the Touw River, Island Lake and Rondevlei. It’s all stocked up in the visual stimulation department.

Try Kaaimans River Bridge. It’s a great spot for photography and particularly for taking shots of the Outeniqua Choo-Choo. This train travels along the coastline between George and Knysna.

Take to the skies with a bout of paragliding. Instructors offer a mix of knowledge, experience and adventure. You can either fly as passenger or on a tandem paragliding flight. There are even one-day instruction courses to sharpen your paragliding skills.

Cloudbase Paragliding
581 Lake Road, Wilderness
Tel: 044 877 1414
Email: jan@cloudbase-paragliding.co.za

4. Knysna

Knysna’s nestles on the banks of a breathtaking lagoon. The lagoon is now a protected marine reserve and is home to sea horse and over 200 species of fish.

Experience small-town charm with craft shops, flea-markets and cosy cafes. A must-see area around Knysna is the veritable Garden of Eden. This is home to the only forest elephant in South Africa, the rare Pansy Shell.

You might even spot the elusive, Knysna Loerie (a brightly coloured bird species), a plethora of waterfowl and forest birds, dolphins and visiting whales.

A stopover at Knysna would be incomplete without a trip to the heads. It’s a striking geological feature made up of a pair of brightly coloured cliffs lying at the mouth of the lagoon.

The eastern head boasts a lookout with spectacular views of the lagoon, Leisure Isle and Knysna. The western head is a privately owned nature reserve called Featherbed Bay. You can get to the reserve can reserve via ferry.

Have an Indian Ocean sailing experience. You can sail through the Knysna Heads on the 50 ft yacht Outeniqua.

There are daily departures. So you can choose between three-hour sunset cruises, four-hour day sailing and even champagne and breakfast.

Springtide Sailing Charters
34 South Jetty, Knysna Quays, Knysna
Tel: 082 470 6022
Email: info@springtide.com 

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