Text: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen
Photographs: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen
Nestled between the lush coastal forests and the turquoise Indian Ocean along South Africa’s famed Garden Route lies Knysna, a postcard-perfect destination. The nearby Tsitsikamma National Park, its charming waterside living with its Cape Cod-style homes, and stunning beaches make for a few fantastic and varied days along the coast…
Pin it for later!
Day 1: Arrival & Sunset Cruise
Sailing Past the Famous Knysna Heads
We begin our getaway aboard the sleek Lara Bella catamaran. Our captain switches the engines on that hum gently to navigate across the treacherous yet magnificent Knysna Heads. Often mistaken for a lagoon, the Knysna Estuary is actually South Africa’s second-largest—spanning 36 kilometres (22.4 miles) from the Outeniqua Mountains to the Indian Ocean. With only 60 meters (200ft) of navigable width between the sandstone cliffs, the Heads have earned their reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous maritime passages.
Actually, the Lloyd’s of London once refused to insure vessels crossing the tricky channel—insuring boats within the estuary and the Indian Ocean, but not during the passage itself. In fact, 49 ships sank here during the port’s commercial era between 1870 and 1954.
Today, leisure boats come up and down the passage, and wildlife has reclaimed the area: ragged-tooth sharks, sand sharks, seals, and even hammerheads call this estuary home while seabirds account only for a few of the 450 bird species recorded along the Garden Route, more than half of South Africa’s total avian population. As we sail across the glistening water, cormorants perched atop cliffs observe our catamaran while seagulls and sterns accompany us in flight, some eyeing the barbecue on the stern on which the crew is about to start braaing a juicy steak.
Once on the Indian Ocean side, the view on the Knysna Heads is as spectacular. Dolphins breach in the distance. With a sudden gust, the sail billows, straining against the ropes. The hull hits a few waves, splashing us. The captain decides to take us back on the flat water of the estuary to enjoy the braai to conclude our sunset cruise, observing the last rays as they cast a warm hue on Knysna.
Travel tip:
- Join Ocean Sailing Charters on a sunset cruise with captain’s BBQ for a festive dinner and bubbles aboard.
The Turbine Hotel: Power Plant Turned into Luxury Boutique Haven
On Thesen Island, the beating heart of Knysna and charming harbour town, we check into the Turbine Hotel & Spa, a 5-star historical boutique hotel housed within a renovated power station. The story of Thesen Island perfectly illustrates Knysna’s evolution from industrial centre to environmental-friendly leisure hub.
Originally inhabited by the Khoisan, the Knysna area later attracted Dutch settlers in the 17th century and soon British such as George Rex in the early 1800s—rumoured to be an illegitimate son of King George III. The entrepreneur established a port and a timber business that exported hardwoods around the world. The Norwegian Thesen family followed in 1869, creating a timber empire that allowed their heir to buy Paarden Island (today’s Thesen Island) where wood waste from the timber mill was used to fuel the power station that generated electricity for the towns of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, and this until 2001—though timber extraction was halted in the 1980s because of its harmful impact on the environment. Today, the island is a residential and commercial eco-haven.
Industrial buildings have been retrofitted retaining their authenticity. The best realisation may be the 1940 power station, today, the heritage building hosting the Turbine Hotel. The 5-star hotel also features a swimming pool overlooking the canals of Knysna and a spa to pamper. The original wood boiler for electricity generators and much of the equipment have been fully restored, sometimes pimped up with bright colours to seamlessly blend in with the hotel’s stylish interior décor, from the lobby to the guestrooms and restaurant areas.
The Island Café: A Refined Culinary Experience
Keeping the industrial feel of the historic hotel, the Island Café restaurant is where the three main turbines of the former power station are boldly displayed. An absolutely decadent breakfast, lunch, and a fine dining experience crafted by the Chef Greg Coleman and his team can be enjoyed in the modern setting with quirky colours and paintings by a famous Knysna artist and emerging South African artists hung on the walls. The food is as refined as the hotel’s aesthetics.
Chef Greg loves highlighting the local ingredients both from the sea and the land. In a beautiful starter, the South African prawns get a spicy kick smoothen by an avocado paste while another features beautifully the local game in a delicious carpaccio with a whipped Brie and crème fraîche and a green salsa and pepper sauce for a hint of bitterness. The extensive wine list helps pair any dish from the fresh seafood to the absolutely excellent roast-smoked springbok presented on a cauliflower and pear purée with roasted forest mushrooms.
After such a dinner and a friendly exchange with Chef Greg who also happens to be a passionate bee keeper, the morning breakfast is already looking very good!
Day 2: Explore the Only Remaining Indigenous Coastal Forest of South Africa
Tsitsikama National Park
Just a 90-minute scenic drive from Knysna, Tsitsikamma is the most precious jewel along South Africa’s Garden Route National Park. The richly biodiverse coastal reserve protects some of the country’s last remaining indigenous afro-temperate forest, home to towering yellowwoods, secretive bushbucks, and vibrant birdlife like the striking Knysna turaco. In Khoi Tsitsikamma means “place of abundant water” and beyond its many streams, we are not surprised by a few rainfalls or mist at times feeding the mosses, orchids, lichens and ferns of the park.
Only 0.5 percent of South Africa’s coastline is still covered in this rare and ancient type of forest of tall evergreen trees. The park also shelters a rare marine ecosystem as Africa’s oldest marine protected area, where snorkelling or kayaking through the Storms River Gorge reveals soft corals, playful seals, and even the elusive Cape clawless otters.
Hiking enthusiast, we spend a full day exploring the network of well-maintained trails—whether it is the dramatic and highly Instagramable suspension bridge short walk over the river mouth or the start of the world-renowned Otter Trail, a multi-day trek through lush forest and along the rugged coastline. A good goal to complement the suspension bridge walk is the Tsitsikamma Waterfall. Passing by caves inhabited by bats, natural tidal pools that invite us for a dip, crossing thick forest patches, we arrive by the waterfall with its jumps over several ledges plunging into a perfect swimming hole, an ideal picnic spot!
Travel tips:
- Tsitsikamma is such a large National Park that you will want to take the whole day to explore it.
- The weather changes rapidly here so make sure to pack some layers and wear good shoes as the terrain is slippery, and to also pack your bathing suit.
- Bear in mind that the Tsitsikamma Waterfall hike is for more experience hikers as boulder hopping over slippery boulders is required.
Freshline Fisheries
Coming back from Tsitsikamma, we stop at the award-winning Freshline Fisheries for dinner bet. The very low-key restaurant with feet in the sand and decorated with fishing nets serves super fresh seafood. Working with local fishermen, the hake is not trawler-caught, but only hand-line caught, and the restaurant also offers a store section where one can buy fresh seafood. WWF and SASSI-stamped—the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative by the WWF that informs consumers to make sustainable seafood choices—, Freshline Fisheries is not only one of the best seafood restaurants in Knysna but also has an ethical take on fishing.
Travel tips:
- Freshline Fisheries does not carry alcohol, so bring your own to enjoy it with your meal.
Day 3: Explore the Unique & Pristine Knysna Heads
The Featherbed Nature Reserve
Tucked away on the untouched western Head of Knysna, the privately-owned Featherbed Nature Reserve offers a rare glimpse into one of the Garden Route’s most dramatic ecosystems. Accessible only by boat, we aboard the Featherbed Ferry and glide across the tranquil turquoise Knysna estuary where the contrast between the developed eastern shore and the wild unspoiled western cliffs is striking. It is easy to picture why the Featherbed is a vital habitat for birds like the colourful Knysna loerie.
Upon arrival, a 4×4 vehicle transports visitors up to the top of the reserve revealing panoramic views over town, the estuary, the Indian Ocean, and fynbos-covered hills. A scenic 2.2-kilometre-(1.4 miles)-downhill guided walk winds through endemic flora and scenic lookout points towards the beach.
The excursion ends under a beautiful canopy of shady milkwood trees with a festive lunch buffet where birdlife is omnipresent. Immersive, informative, and inspiring, the Featherbed Nature Reserve is a must-do experience along the Garden Route, ideal for all ages and a perfect way to spend a leisurely half day in pristine nature.
Travel tips:
- Booking ahead to experience the Featherbed Nature Reserve is essential.
***
More than a stop along the Garden Route, Knysna is worth exploring and is a destination in its own right. With its natural assets, heritage charm, and sophisticated hospitality, Knysna offers plenty of options from sailing through legendary waters to hiking in ancient forests, or indulging in refined local cuisine.
Travel tips:
- Check out our interactive map for more in the area (black pins lead to an article):
For more in & around Cape Town, click on these images:
Best regards from far, 