Knysna - Garden Route

Knysna and its lagoons are one of the most popular stops on the Garden Route. The lagoon is guarded by two sandstone cliffs known as The Heads. There are spectacular views from the Eastern Head. 

Knysna is renowned for its beer and oysters - they go together quite well. A visit to either Mitchells Brewery or the Knysna Oyster Company gives you a tasteful introduction to the city. Museums such as the Millwood House Museum or the Angling Museum -housed in the Old Gaol complex in Queen Street - give you some historic background info. Local craft centres and art galleries are well worth a visit too.

Close to Knysna you find attractions such as Noetzie, the Buffalo Valley Game Farm and the Featherbed Nature Reserve that make for perfect excursions. The Brenton / Buffalo Bay beach offers first-class swimming and surfing conditions.

Knysna sits on a pretty lagoon with a well-designed, modern waterfront tourist area selling overpriced oysters, but the dense forests are gone, replaced by walks, formulaic boat rides, quad bikes and cliff-jumping.

The Knysna Lagoon is one of the few places along the coast and in the world that supports a oyster hatchery. And the Knysna oysters are reputedly among the tastiest in the world. Millwood House Museum in Queen Street houses material relating to the history of the town, and includes artifacts once owned by George Rex. It was built from yellow wood at the end of the previous century during the gold rush.

Another historical attraction are the Millwood Gold Mines. Alluvial gold was found here in 1885, which caused a rush to the area. At Jubilee Creek, the exact spot where gold was found, provides a tranquil and beautiful picnic area, with many enjoyable forest walks in the area. Buffalo Bay is the closest beach to knysna, one of the safest for swimming along the coast and enjoyed by many holiday makers every year. It is very rocky in places, making it a great angling spot, there is also a small slipway available for small boats.

Information from: World 66