Knysna

Kynsna (pronounced ny-znah) is a town ~500km east of Cape Town, along the Garden Route of South Africa. It was my first stop along the route, and is built along the warm waters of the Knysna estuary. The estuary opens up onto the ocean through the Knysna Headlands, an area of treacherous waters, but breathtaking views. The estuary here is one of the most important for conservation in all of South Africa. Of all of the estuarine species in South Africa, 42% of them can be found here. It is also home to the endangered Knysna Seahorse, and is the largest area of eelgrass in all of S.A.

The area around Knysna, including the forest, rivers, estuary and the ocean, all have their own trails with plenty of hiking, fishing and exploring to do here. If you only have a day or two to spend here, you can still check everything out by renting an electric scooter to save time getting around! The town itself doesn’t have the most spectacular views, but they aren’t hard to get to. For some great view points, head up to the top of the East head where there are multiple viewpoints of the Atlantic meeting the river/estuary and the waves crashing into the rocks below. After you’ve enjoyed the views, head down to the East Head Café for some lunch or coffee to relax after your hike. On the way back to town, do a loop around Leisure Island to see different parts of the estuary, and views of the heads from a different vantage point. 

You only need a couple days here in Knysna, but you can easily do day trips to neighbouring towns along the route if you’re looking for a change of scenery!