Travel Log: Garden Route

January 2024 we spent several days in George, a town in the Garden Route of South Africa. We were fortunate to be invited to stay with our friend Louis and use his house as a base to explore the area. Louis was actually pretty stoked to act as our unofficial guide on our first visit to South Africa. He took us to so many great places and educated us on all things South African. During our time discovering the beauty of the Garden Route we were introduced to George, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, and Herolds Bay.

The Garden Route

So what is the Garden Route? The Garden Route District Municipality is a popular road tripping region known for its rugged natural beauty. Visit the five nature reserves along the Garden Route to see South Africa’s big five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. This area of the Western Cape is home to Garden Route National Park and full of majestic landscapes that include everything from mountains to beaches.

George

Our visit was based out of George, the second largest city in the Western Cape province. Our experience in George became a culinary adventure that included a traditional Afrikaans braai barbeque graciously hosted by Louis’ family. We arrived in George on New Years Eve and started out with a bang at Hennie’s, where you are required to only drink with your left hand. Surprisingly, everything in town was closed except for Shenanigan’s Irish Pub which fortunately kept the party going into the new year.

There are plenty of fun and delicious dining options around George. If you need some BBQ, beer, and live music look no further than Bain’s Bench Eatery & Bar. Enjoy clever cocktails and equally inspiring dishes on a cool outdoor patio at The Pottery. For breakfast or lunch Dog and Dragon recommend Nina’s Cafe where you will have an amazing dining experience in a casual, lovely setting either indoors or in the garden.

Mossel Bay

The harbor town of Mossel Bay is known as a vacation spot due to its beaches, fishing, scuba diving, and stunning views of the Indian Ocean. For the truly psychotic, or maybe brave of heart, there is the option of great white shark cage diving. That may be the most terrifying thing I can imagine, so this Dog is leaving that to the rest of you. Meanwhile, I’ll be back at Reed Valley Winery for a tasting flight and some fantastic views of the countryside. The uniquely South African Pinotage style became our instant favorite with its easy drinkability and complex flavors.

Wilderness

Our tour of the area included a day exploring Wilderness. Wilderness has all the vibe of a classic beach town; relaxing patio cafes, ice cream stands, cool vacation flats, beach bound vacationers, and of course stunning, sandy beaches. We learned the tragic story of Leentjiesklip at the western end of the beach. The landscape around Wilderness includes tree covered hillsides, steep mountains, rushing rivers, and kilometers of oceanside. After short drive into the hills Louis brought us to a majestic overlook known as the Map of Africa where the river has carved out a hillside in the shape of the continent.

Herolds Bay

While in George we were fortunate to be able to meet up with our friend Anthea. Anthea took us to another beautiful beach town, Herolds Bay. In what appears to be a secluded, rarely visited section of the Garden Route you’ll find a sheltered cove perfect for fishing, swimming, sunbathing, and surfing. In addition to the ever present surfers, the waters here are frequented by dolphins and whales. Despite its glorious beauty this little village is still small and parking near the beach is scarce. There are a number of restaurants in the area as well as two renowned golf courses.

Visiting the Garden Route

We spent a fantastic week in George exploring the Garden Route. Don’t be shocked that most of the population here speaks Afrikaans, often in addition to English, but sometimes only the former. Our time in George was a chance to relax and recoup after our many stops jumping around the Mediterranean. We loved the beaches, wines, and little towns like Wilderness. The people of the Garden Route were so friendly and accommodating to us on our first trip to Africa. Hopefully we’ll be able to make a return trip someday and see even more of what the Western Cape has to offer. Stayed tuned for our epic visit to Cape Town!