The Garden Route is a 300-kilometre stretch along South Africa’s south-eastern coast, extending from the Western Cape to Tsitsikamma’s Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from the lush and diverse vegetation and numerous estuaries and lakes. It includes towns such as Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Great Brak River, Little Brak River, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Nature’s Valley, with George being the largest city and main administrative center.
It experiences an oceanic climate, with mild summers and winters. Temperatures range between 10°C in winter and 28°C in summer. Rain falls year-round, peaking slightly in spring due to humid sea-winds from the Indian Ocean meeting the Langeberg, Outeniqua, and Tsitsikamma Mountains. The area is linked to the Origin of Human Culture through archaeological finds in Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, and Stilbaai.
The route lies between the mountains and the Indian Ocean, with mountain passes like Outeniqua Pass connecting it to the arid Little Karoo. Indigenous forests mix Cape Fynbos and Temperate Forest, offering hiking trails and eco-tourism activities. Nearly 300 bird species can be found in habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands.
