Cape Town Attractions: the Garden Route

Cape Town is the ideal starting point for a scenic drive up South Africa's Garden Route. Stretching along several hundred kilometres, this drive takes tourists to blissful coastal towns, lush forests, wildlife reserves, mountains and excellent resorts.

• Contains Africa's most southern point
• Excellent for dolphin and whale viewing
• Exciting adventure activities
• Breathtaking getaways

When you set off from Cape Town, along the picturesque drive around Walker Bay, your first stop is sure to be Hermanus. Situated one-and-a-half hours from Cape Town, this charming fishing village has become one of the country's premier holiday resorts. It is one of the best places in the world for land-based whale watching.

From Hermanus, the next stop is Cape L'Aghulhas, the most southern point of the African continent. Though there really is not much to look at, it is worth stepping out of the car and having a look around before setting out for the heart of the Garden Route, approximately four-and-a-half hours from Cape Town.

This is where you will find Knysna, one of the country's most popular small towns. Full of quaint shops, stunning hotels and lodges and nearby coastal resorts, Knysna is a firm favourite with locals and overseas visitors. This is one of the few places in the country where indigenous forests can be found, with their unique fauna and flora. Adrenaline junkies love Knysna for the wealth of activities on offer here, from bungi jumping to black water tubing at Tsitsikamma.

Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay are nearby coastal towns, situated around beautiful beaches. The sea is much warmer than around Cape Town, making these towns extremely popular areas during school holidays. Though few people venture further east, it is worth noting that the actual end of the Garden Route is in Port Elizabeth, a sunny city on the Indian Ocean.