Knysna and Plettenberg Bay is the ideal base from which to explore this beautiful region of the Garden Route.
- Whale-watching by boat in Plettenberg Bay
- Hiking trails galore in the Tsitsikamma Forests
- Whale-watching from the rocky trail in the Robberg Nature Reserve
- The ferry-ride to the Featherbed Nature Reserve and a gentle guided walk
- Bird-watching by canoe up the Keurbooms River
- The 'Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe' steam train ride
- Monkeyland – a huge open-air sanctuary for rare primates
- The world's highest bungee jump at Bloukrans
- Fresh air - golf, running, swimming, hiking, riding, climbing, cycling, paddling
- Fine dining - Knysna oysters and Knysna beer make a good combination
Its original name, given by Portuguese sailors, was Bahia Formosa, which means Beautiful Bay. That name was too exotic for subsequent settlers who renamed it Plettenberg Bay. That name has too many syllables for subsequent regulars – of whom there are many - who call it 'Plett'.
White beaches make a gentle curve with the lapping tide and the bay is bordered by a protected peninsula in the south and the Keurbooms estuary in the north. Rocky outcrops and the lush Tsitsikamma Mountains break the monotony, earning the bay its erstwhile title and setting the scene for a classic sun-sea-sand holiday destination. The brash hotels and flashy holiday villas fill up in December when a tsunami of in-country holiday-makers do their best to ruin the scenery. They're gone by January though and what's left is a delightful, if a little sleepy, seaside town that enjoys seasonal visits from some large and randy whales and the jet-set polo crowd.
With more permanent residents, Knysna (pronounced NIZE-na) embodies the spirit of the Garden Route: a beautiful stretch of coastline inhabited by wealthy dumb-downers, nature-lovers and surfers by the Kombi-load. The town occupies a narrow shelf between a large lagoon and the sheer Tsitsikamma Mountains. The main road is a jumble of knick-knack shops, cafés, supermarkets and an endless parade of slow-moving cars on the hunt for parking space. Knysna Lagoon is protected by two large cliffs – called 'The Heads' – through which a boat-sized gap leads out into the Indian Ocean. The western arm is a nature reserve accessed by ferry; and the other is turning into an elite suburb with plush houses and a fancy golf resort.
