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The Garden Route
Location: South Eastern South Africa – stretching from the Western to Eastern Cape.
Climate: Mild to warm Summers (Nov – Mar) and mild to cool Winters (Jun – Aug) – best time to visit: Mar – Jun or Sept – Nov. Temperatures rarely fall below 10 degrees c or rise above 28 degrees c. Rain occurs all year sporadically with a slight rise in Spring.
Typical Landscape: Mountains, forests, coastline and wildflower covered savannah
The Garden Route is a popular scenic stretch from the Western Cape through to the Eastern Cape – it is a natural follow on if you have visited Cape Town, the Winelands and/or Hermanus. The name is derived from the vast variety of vegetation and numerous lagoons.
The Garden Route includes Mossel Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley – it has an oceanic climate, the mildest in South Africa. Attractions include the rugged coastline and Tsitsikamma Mountains. There are a number of indigenous forests which offer hiking trails and eco-tourism, and the opportunity to watch nearly 300 species of bird.
Along the Garden Route ten nature reserves have protected the varied ecosystems as well as unique marine reserves home to coral reefs, dolphins and seals. The Southern Right Whale also uses various bays along the Garden Route as nurseries once they have calved (Jul – Dec).
Mountains crowd the beautiful Garden Route shoreline and vividly coloured wild flowers are a highlight. Long leisurely drives are delightful with much to see along the way.
Main attractions are the Tsitsikamma National Park (with dramatic forests and moutains), the Cango Caves, Jeffrey’s Bay, the Wild Coast and the Klein Karoo gorges.
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