Garden Route

"South Africa's Coastal Paradise"

Beyond the Gouritz River Bridge the traveler moves out of the Mediterranean region of the Western Cape into the southern coastal belt. The celebrated Garden Route is the area between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, stretching approximately 225 kilometres from Mossel Bay to beyond the Storms River. For practical purposes this area has been extended to include the area from Riversdale to Mossel Bay. The region is charaterised by rainfall at all seasons and an equable climate.

The whole of the route is a tourist attraction of national significance, providing scenery that is beautiful and varied. Flowers, ocean beaches, mountains, lakes, rivers, ravines and forests abound.

The Garden Route attracts visitors throughout the year. The most popular periods are during springtime, when the veld is a profusion of wild flowers, there being over 200 varieties; and the summer months, when glorious sea bathing, boating and fishing are the main attractions. Within the region there are golf courses, bowling greens, tennis courts and yachting waters.

Heidelberg and Riversdale Heidelberg was named after the ancient German city and is a market town and rail centre for a prosperous wheat and wool district. It is attractively situated on the bank of the Duivenhoks River (dove cote river).
Part of the highly productive coastal wheat-belt, Riversdale is at the foothills of the Langeberg, close to the Goukou River. It was founded in 1838 and named after the Hon. Harry Rivers, the Civil Commissioner and later Colonial Treasurer. The district around Riversdale is noted for the delicious honey produced from heath and other flowers of the veld; and for the aromatic Agathosma shrub that gives off an antiseptic-like perfume.
To the north of Riversdale the R323 to Ladismith and the Little Karoo crosses the Langeberg by way of the Garcia Pass, a picturesque motorway in a rural setting with colourful sandstone cliffs and ravines filled with wild flowers.

Puntjie
At the coast, south of Riversdale, is Puntjie, a unique complex of seventy reproductions of the 18th century kapstylhuisie.

Stilbaai Stilbaai with its magnificent beach is divided by the estuary of the Goukou River. The beaches and navigable river which are suitable for swimming, fishing and boating help make this a very popular holiday destination.

Albertinia Albertinia is well known for its substantial deposits of yellow ochre found in the district, which provide South Africa's principal output. The clay is recovered by open cast methods and after processing the ochre is despatched to local and overseas markets for use as a pigment in the colouring of cement products, linoleum and paint. Albertinia also boasts an aloe extract factory for use in aloe skin and health products.

Gouritz River Bridge Fourteen kilometers east of Albertinia the National road crosses the Gouritz River. The spectacular parallel road and rail bridges which span the deep ravine (65 metre deep and 75 metres wide) are worth stopping to view.

Mossel Bay Mossel Bay, a colourful hillside town and port lies on the sloping promontory of Cape St Blaze, overlooking the spacious bay with a backdrop of the Outeniqua range.

George George is positioned amid majestic scenery on the high coastal plateau on the seaward slopes of the Outeniqua Mountains, and is dominated by George peak which rises 1 146 metres above the plateau.