South Africa is such a beautiful country and the Garden Route is definitely one of my absolute favourite places. The South African coastline has a vast variety of things to do and provides you with different sceneries, whether you want to explore the beach, mountains, forests or deserts, you will be sorted.
Wilderness is located on the Garden Route of the southern Cape in South Africa and it is known for its beautiful long white sand beaches and vast number of rivers, lagoons and lakes.
Things to do
1.Go to the beach
Wilderness beach is a blue flag beach with the beach seeming endless, so you can walk for miles on end. This is also the perfect spot to get your tan on or taking a dip in the ocean without having to fight for space.
There are three different areas where you can park your car and enjoy your day at the beach. The areas all depend on what you are planning to do. The western beach (parking 1 and 2) has life guards on duty. So if you are planning to go swimming, this is the beach for you. You can easily walk between these two beaches. The eastern beach has no life guards on duty, which also means that this area is very quiet. So this is perfect for those sunset walks. And let me tell you, Wilderness does not disappoint with its sunsets.
GPS Coordinates:
Parking 1 -33.995710, 22.565564
Parking 2 -33.995494, 22.582382
Parking 3 -34.005476, 22.657302
Cost: FREE
2.Take a trip to the Garden Route/ Tsitsikamma National Park
The Garden Route/ Tsitsikamma National Park is 143km (2 hours) from Wilderness, but oh boy is this worth the drive! Upon arrival you will receive a map, which clearly indicates the different hiking trails.
There are two trails that I would definitely recommend and both can be done in one day.
The Mouth Trail
The Mouth Trail starts at Sandy Bay and takes you through the forest along the coastline to the mouth of the Storms River. Here you will find one of the famous Storms River Suspension Bridges. There is also a stunning pebble beach on the other side of the suspension bridge and if you listen carefully it sounds like thunder when the waves crash onto the pebble shore.
This trail is only 1 km and will take you an hour (round trip).
The Waterfall Trail
The Waterfall Trail is the first 3 km of the world-renowned Otter Trail. While hiking to the waterfall you are greeted with spectacular views of the ocean and lush greenery. On your way to the Waterfall you will pass the Guano Cave where you can take a break. Remember to take your bathing costume along to take a dip in the pool at the Tsitsikamma Waterfall. However, I must say that the water is freezing, but it is definitely worth it and cools you off for your trip back.
This trail is about 3 km and takes 3-4 hours’ (round trip).
GPS Coordinates:
Mouth Trail Parking -34.022958, 23.897955
Waterfall Trail Parking -34.022958, 23.897955
Cost: (December 2019)
| South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) | R62 per adult & R31 per child |
| Foreign Visitors | R248 per adult & R124 per child |
Other hikes at this National Park includes the Blue Duiker Trail (3,7 km / 3 hours) and the Loerie Trail (1 km / 1,5 hours)
3.Hike the Half Collared Kingfisher Hiking Trail
The Half Collared Kingfisher Hiking Trail is one of the most popular hiking trails in Wilderness and here you are getting lured into the beautiful indigenous forest. The trail starts at the Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp (alongside the rail/ road bridge) and is a total distance of 3,8 km. This trail will take you about an hour to 2,5 hours, depending on your fitness level. The trail leads to the Touw River Waterfall, where you can take a dip to cool off. I suggest you take a picnic basket with to enjoy the tranquility of the waterfall.
GPS Coordinates: -33.987628, 22.606605
Cost:Â Â Â Â Â (December 2019)
| South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) | R46 per adult & R23 per child |
| Foreign Visitors | R152 per adult & R76 per child |
Another option to get to the waterfall is by hiring a canoe (see ‘Go canoeing’ to get more info).
4.Go canoeing
One of the MUST do activities in Wilderness is to hire a canoe. Eden Adventures is located at the Fairy Knowe Hotel and they have a lot of different activities you can try – from canoeing, kloofing, abseiling, etc.
There are various options to choose from (to view the options, click here). We took the half day double canoe (R400) and did the Touw River Waterfall route. Half a day is more than enough time for this route, although it does depend on how much time you will be spending at the waterfall.
There are various routes for canoeing:
Touw River Waterfall
To get to the waterfall you paddle for about 3km through the beautiful indigenous forest up to where the river becomes narrow. Here you leave your canoe on the banks of the river and you hike for about 2.5 km to get to the waterfall. The hike is part of the Half Collared Kingfisher Hiking Trail – see above.
Island Lake
To get to Island lake you paddle for about 3.5 km down the Serpentine River. At the Island Lake you can enjoy a nice picnic.
River Mouth
The River mouth is about 30-40 minutes of paddling.
GPS Coordinates: -33.994319, 22.600909
Costs: Refer to website to see rates by clicking here.
Take into consideration that should you not have a Wildcard; you will be required to pay an addition fee for the SANPark conservation levi. This is also payable at Eden Adventures.
SANPark conservation fee: (December 2019)
| South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) | R46 per adult & R23 per child |
| Foreign Visitors | R152 per adult & R76 per child |
5.Visit the ‘Map of Africa’ viewpoint
If you do plan on going to Wilderness, then drop by at ‘Map of Africa’ viewpoint! The ‘Map of Africa’ is an extraordinary scene of mountains and forests. Here you get a clear view of the Kaaimans river, which is in the shape of the African continent, hence the name ‘Map of Africa’.
This stunning viewpoint is easy to find as there are many direction boards leading you to the ‘Map of Africa’ viewpoint. The last stretch to the viewpoint is a well-maintained gravel road, so you do not need a 4 x 4 vehicle.
Depending on the weather conditions, this is also the spot where paragliders race to the sky and soar overhead the outstretched beach.
GPS Coordinates: -33.992933, 22.560845
Cost: FREE
6.Visit George Botanical Gardens
George Botanical Gardens is one of those serene places with breath taking views. It is situated at the top of Caledon Street in George. Here you will find a variety of indigenous plants and trees with different trails to explore this beautiful botanical garden.
GPS Coordinates: -33.946394, 22.464998S
Cost: R15 per person (December 2019)
7.Visit the Redberry Farm
The Redberry Farm is situated in George and is such an idyllic place to go to. There are multiple restaurants – from handcrafted ice cream to wood-fire pizza. The best part is when you go to the strawberry field to go pick your own strawberries. There is also a massive hedge maize and many other activities.
You get two different size containers for strawberry picking. The small container is R25 per person and the large container is R40 per person.
After you’ve explored the farm and all the activities it has to offer, you can stop at the Houtbosch restaurant to do some wine and craft beer tasting/ pairing.
GPS Coordinates: -33.958490, 22.382315
Cost: Depending on your activity
8.Go to Dolphin viewpoint & Kaaimans River Bridge
From Wilderness on your way to George you will find a viewpoint that overlooks the Kaaimans River Railway Bridge and the long sandy beaches of Wilderness.
From this viewpoint you can drive to the Kaaimans River Parking area and walk the pathway to the beach. Here you can get close to the Kaaimans River Bridge (depending on the tide) and take a swim in the Kaaimans River. Take a tube with to float on the river while enjoying the South African sun. After this you can go get a bite to eat at the Kaaimans River Restaurant, which is just up the road from where you parked.
GPS Coordinates:
Viewpoint Parking: -33.997789, 22.560105
Kaaimans River Parking: -33.991055, 22.551735
Cost: FREE
9.Go to Surrounding beaches
If you would like to explore the Garden route more; I suggest you take a trip to Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Victoria Bay and/or Herold’s Bay.
Knysna
Knysna is about 48 km (40 min) from Wilderness and the road to Knysna is just breathtaking.
Things to do in Knysna:
- Take a boat cruise at the Knysna Waterfront and get some shopping done.
- Visit the Knysna Elephant Park – The Knysna Elephant Park cares for orphaned African elepants.
- Go to the Knysna Heads Viewpoint.
GPS Coordinates for Knysna Waterfront: -34.040737, 23.045328
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay (also known as Plett) is about 80 km (1 hour) from Wilderness.
Things to do in Plettenberg Bay:
- Visit the Robberg Nature Reserve
- Bungy jump from the Bloukrans bridge, which is the largest concrete arch bridge in Africa. There is also a very nice restaurant where you can watch people jump while having a bite to eat. Visit Face Adrenalin’s website to check rates and opening slots for bungy jumping. Click here for the website.
- Hit the beach
GPS Coordinates for Bloukrans Bridge restaurant: -33.965511, 23.647791
Victoria Bay
Victoria Bay is a small cove just between George and Wilderness. It is 9 km (15 min) from Wilderness. This is an excellent beach to go swimming and also watch the surfers ride the waves. Since Victoria Bay is located between two mountains, it does get darker earlier.
GPS Coordinates for Victoria Bay: -34.004114, 22.547044
Herold’s Bay
Herold’s Bay is 26 km from Widerness and takes about 21 minutes to get there. This is the perfect beach to take a swim and they have the best ice cream! While you are there, take a drive to the Voelklip viewpoint. This is a gravel road, but is easily accessible with a non 4×4 vehicle.
GPS Coordinates for Voelklip Viewpoint: -34.059943, 22.380463
Check out my Wilderness Travel Vlog:
Travel with Mariska 