| 2 mins read
To behold Knysna from afar is to behold the quintessential image of the rugged South African coast; its wild, crashing waves, its verdant seaside cliffs, its sprawling primeval forests, the lingering backdrop of the mountains, the pleasant red-and-white hues of the townhouses clustering around the bay. There are plenty of reasons why this one is the long standing kingpin of the magnificent Garden Route.
For one Knysna is the most beautiful town on this section of the Western Cape, a perfect haven for hikers and bikers, loaded with the lagoon-side Pledge Nature Reserve, the nearby Tsitsikamma National Park, and more adventure outfitters than you can shake a walking boot at.
Then there’s the dramatic panoramas, the two Heads, bearing the brunt of the crashing swells to the south of town, and the looming canopies of the magnificent Knysna Forest.
But it’s not all about nature here either, and as any Knysna tourist guide will tell you, this lively little town has become famed for its liberal, artsy vibe, its wealth of whittling studios and woodworkers, and the covering of bespoke galleries that pepper its middle.
Image Details and Licenses: https://flic.kr/p/4wtrPg (Axel Hecht, CC BY-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/axEgqD (Marko Kudjerski, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/96psJV (Crystian Cruz, CC BY-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/8yguex (Dave Bezaire & Susi Havens, CC BY-SA 2.0)