Knysna

Knysna sits on the northern shore of a big warm-water estuary that opens to the sea through two sandstone cliffs called the Heads. Behind the town the Afro-montane forest runs about 20 km inland, and the N2 passes straight through the middle. People come for the water, the forest, the oysters and the golf, and because it is a comfortable base roughly midway along the Garden Route.

Getting there

Knysna is on the N2, 60 km east of George and 33 km west of Plettenberg Bay. From Cape Town it is around 500 km, from Gqeberha about 270 km. The nearest airport is George, with flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, then an hour or so by road. Intercape, City to City and the Baz Bus all stop in town. Minibus taxis to George and Plettenberg Bay leave from outside the Shoprite on Nelson Street. In peak season the N2 through town backs up badly, so allow extra time for anything with a fixed start.

When to go

The climate is mild and green all year because it rains in every month. Summer highs are around 25°C, winter highs 17 to 18°C, and the wettest spell is usually October to November. The Oyster Festival runs for ten days in late June and early July and books the town solid. Other fixtures are the Simola Hillclimb in early May, the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras in late April and the Gastronomica food festival around the end of September. December and January are the busy family weeks; autumn is quieter.

What to do

Walk up the eastern Head for the view over the lagoon mouth, then take the ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve on the western Head. Featherbed is private and you can only go in with a guide; the standard trip is about four hours with a boat ride, a drive up, a walk back down through the reserve and a buffet lunch. The lagoon itself is a protected marine area with more than 200 fish species and the Knysna seahorse. Houseboats can be hired without a licence.

Inland, the forest drives and trails north of town lead to the King Edward VII big tree, said to be about 600 years old, and to the old Millwood gold diggings, where South Africa’s first gold field opened after a nugget was found in 1878. The Pledge Nature Reserve has three and a half kilometres of paths within 500 m of the town centre. Knysna Elephant Park and three golf courses fill the rest of a week.

Good to know

The town was founded by George Rex in the early 1800s and grew on timber shipped out by the Thesen family. In June 2017 wind-driven fires killed several people and displaced around 10,000; you will still see burnt hillsides and new building. The Garden Route towns are considered safer than the big cities, but the usual car and valuables sense applies. A car is close to essential for the forest and the outlying beaches.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikivoyage (Garden Route), Visit Knysna (Knysna and Partners tourism), South African Tourism.