Knysna Attractions

Knysna is famous for its spectacular environment and natural beauty, which promise hours of fun for the outdoor enthusiast and adventurer. Beaches, rivers, lakes and lagoons provide ample opportunity for watersports, while mountains and forests beckon hikers, riders, and cyclists. A range of eco-adventure companies offer safe, guided activities.

Knysna has become a Mecca for sporting events, including cycle races, forest marathons and tournaments of various descriptions.

Sun and sea

The Garden Route offers some of the best water sport areas along the Southern Coast of Africa. Hire a boat, or bring your own, and cruise our beautiful lagoon, streams and rivers. Take a ferry across to Featherbed Nature Reserve or to the Knysna Heads - enjoy a romantic sunset, or leisurely lunchtime cruise. For an adrenalin rush in the water, go shark cage diving at Mossel Bay or Blackwater Tubing at Stormsriver. Watch the dolphins and whales play along our coastline.

Adventure activities

Paraglide in heaven - soar above the coast and have a birds-eye view of this beautiful environment. Abseil down the Knysna Heads and other cliffs on the coastline. Rock climb in some unique and beautiful areas Explore the area by quad bike (biking on the beach is not allowed due to the fragile eco-system). Experience the thrill of hanging from a cable and gliding from one tree top to another in the dense Tsitsikamma Forest.

Visit a Game farm just a few minutes outside of George and watch the crocodiles feed. Visit one or more of the world-famous ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn. Touch leopards at a wildlife ranch. Get up close and personal with the inhabitants of Monkey Land. Visit the Cheetah farm, the Knysna Elephant Park and see the Knysna Seahorses in the Knysna Lagoon. Enjoy one of the many Nature Reserves in and around the Knysna area.

Tourist Attractions

George offers you the opportunity to go back in time and experience the old railway history of Southern Africa at the Railway Museum. Take the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train from George to Knysna and travel through the most scenic coastal areas. Indulge in fresh Oysters from the Lagoon and visit the local brewery. Take a trip through to Oudtshoorn and experience the Cango Caves. Visit the Post Office Tree and the Dias Caravel Museum in Mossel Bay.

Outdoor Activities

This area is a golfer's paradise. Visit one of the various PGA registered golf-courses along our beautiful coastline. Cycle on the many biking trails through the local forests. Hike or horse-back ride on one of the excellent hiking and horse riding trails along the coast and in the forest.

The Garden Route features some of the most spectacular hiking trails in the world, through forest, fynbos and along its pristine coastline.

Out and About

Shop till you drop in the many unique shops in Knynsa - The Waterfront, Woodmill Lane and Main Street are just some shopping venues.

There is a wide selection of Restaurants, Coffee shops, Pubs & Grills, Pizzerias and Farm stalls in and around Knysna. Weekends are famous for the many markets in the area - from Sedgefeild to Hakerville and Wilderness.