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Wilderness

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Wilderness is a sought after holiday destination along the Western Cape’s magnificent Garden Route. Tourists flock to Wilderness for its wide-stretching beaches, tranquil seas, and moderate climate all year round. Come and experience the friendly hospitality and natural beauty for which Wilderness is renowned by booking one of the accommodations below.

The quiet coastal village of Wilderness lies between the Kaaimans River and the Goukama Nature Reserve, and is bordered by the towering Outeniqua Mountains. Extensive waterways, pristine beaches, and lush indigenous forest make it a nature lover’s paradise. Water sport enthusiasts flock to the ocean, rivers, lakes, and lagoons. Wilderness not only overlooks the ocean, but also the calm lagoon (Touw River Estuary), which is a favoured location for water-skiing, boating, fishing, and other water sports. Bird watchers are attracted by the abundant birdlife. The wetlands are home to over 200 species of bird, including the Fish Eagle, Nightjar, and Southern Boubou. Other adventure activities include mountain biking, quad biking, hang gliding, paragliding, abseiling, bungee-jumping, and diving.

Wilderness has over 18km of golden beach sands that are ideal for fishing, sunbathing, swimming, surfing, or a leisurely stroll. The most popular beaches include the Touw River mouth, Leentjiesklip, The Boardwalk on 6th Avenue, The Fisherman’s walk on 8th Avenue, and Kleinkrantz. Visitors are advised to be careful when swimming as there are strong currents. Wilderness boasts wonderful dolphin and whale watching at Dolphin Point, Wilderness Beach, 6th Avenue lookout point, and Flat Rock. Although Bryde’s whales, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback dolphins can be seen throughout the year, the best time to see Southern Right Whales is between July and November.

Venture off the beach to explore wonders of the indigenous forest. Marvel at the giant Yellowwood trees, follow the tracks of bushbuck and duiker along the quiet paths, and keep an eye open for the elusive Knysna Lourie. There is a wide variety of restaurants, cafés, art galleries, craft stalls, shops, and weekend markets to explore. Relaxed outings include scenic drives, horse rides, and cave exploring.

With easy access to a number of nearby towns, Wilderness is an ideal base to explore the many attractions that can be found along the Garden Route. This stretch of coastline boasts incredible beaches, nature reserves, historical sights, cultural attractions, and adventure experiences. Visit the Garden Route Casino in Mossel Bay, cruise the lagoon and eat oysters in Knysna, visit Monkey Land and Birds of Eden in Plettenberg Bay, and explore the Cango Caves in Outdshoorn. George, considered to be the golfing capital in South Africa, is only 20 minutes away and boasts some of the country’s finest courses, including The Links at Fancourt, Oubaai Golf Club, and George Golf Club. Venture further up the coast and enjoy a day outing to the Addo Elephant National Park; or take a ride on the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, South Africa’s last scheduled mixed steam train service.

Make Wilderness your base on the Garden Route by booking at a friendly accommodation below.

If you've gotten this far, you've clearly enjoyed reading about Wilderness! Why not make a holiday of it and check out our list of accommodation in Wilderness?
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