Wilderness Beach House Backpackers Lodge

Wilderness Beach House is a backpackers on Western Road at the western end of Wilderness, above Leentjiesklip Bay. Its selling point is simple: the sand is about 100 m away, and the dorms look straight out to sea. It draws Garden Route backpackers, surfers and anyone who wants a social base with a bar, without paying for a beachfront hotel.

What to expect

There are two dorms with sea-view decks, a few private rooms with shared bathrooms, four en-suite rooms and five garden tents with wooden bed frames. The bar and kitchen serve wood-fired pizza and home-style meals, with craft beer on tap, plus pool and darts. Sundays bring live music from 3pm to 6pm and Thursday is open mic night from 6pm to 10pm, so expect a lively crowd on those evenings.

Practical details

• Address: Western Road, Wilderness.
• Check-in from noon, check-out 10:30am.
• Free parking on site.
• George is about 10 minutes by car, George Airport and Sedgefield about 15 minutes, and Knysna about 40 minutes.
• Victoria Bay’s surf break is roughly 12 minutes’ drive, and the Map of Africa viewpoint about five.
• The lodge can arrange paragliding, surfing, kayaking, horse riding and hiking.

Good to know

Reception keeps limited hours, so let the lodge know if you will arrive late. If you want quiet, avoid Sunday afternoons and Thursday nights or pick one of the en-suite rooms rather than a dorm. The Baz Bus stops in Wilderness on its Cape Town to Port Elizabeth route, which makes Wilderness an easy stop without a car, though the surf at Victoria Bay and the paragliding launch sites do need transport.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wilderness Beach House Backpackers, Hostelworld.