Knysna is one of South Africa's most popular holiday destinations and rightly so. With a temperate climate all year round and miles of stunning coastline and indigenous forests, it is a nature lover's paradise as well as providing entertainment for food lovers and shoppers!
Around Knysna the spring and autumn are comfortable and summer is hot and sunny as you would expect! It is a perfect year round destination. Mild winters on the Garden Route mean sunny and still days, the forests do not loose their leaves and day temperatures are usually around that of a European summer around 19C.
Knysna is where forest meets ocean and you are surrounded by nature. The town sits on an estuary which is fed by rivers from the Outeniqua Mountains and is enveloped by lush indigenous forests with a cooling breeze from the Indian Ocean. There are beaches, lakes, mountains and forests offering a wonderful holiday whether you want adventure or simply relaxing in the sun. Some of the best beaches and coast walks are at Brenton on Sea, Belvidere and Buffalo Bay.
The Humpback and Southern Right whales visit the coastline during the months of May and September to breed in the calm, warm waters of the Indian Ocean and present a spectacular theatre of breaching, rolling, playing with calves and just generally lolling about. The Knysna area is home to a wealth of bird life including the famous Knysna Loerie and beaches provides the breeding grounds for the endangered African Black Oyster Catcher.
There are so many activities to do, here are a handful of suggestions. Knysna Forest can be explored on foot, horseback, bicycle or car. There are local markets for fish, farmers products and crafts and plenty of interesting art and craft shops. On the water you can enjoy swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling and estuary cruises. The Knysna Waterfront has fine wines, fresh seafood, curio shops or provides simply a place to watch the boats go by. Famous for it's oyster beds, there are several restaurants offering this local delicacy. Along with the oysters Knysna is proud of it's beer - Mitchell’s Brewery opened 25 years ago in Knysna and is arguably the leading micro brewery in South Africa.
For the children and more energetic, activities nearby include the elephant sanctuary, monkeyland, butterfly garden, bird farm, leisure isle, treetop canopy tours, Featherbed Nature Reserve or a short drive to Tsitsikamma for bunjee jumping.
The only scheduled steam train in South Africa operates between Knysna and George on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe - please check locally if it is operating at the time of your trip.
