If you hear people talking about “wilderness” on the Garden Route, they are not speaking in general terms about nature, but about a beautiful holiday spot which is ideal for families and couples. When booking a vacation in Wilderness, the following information offers some basic information about what to expect.
Wilderness is a small town that is found along the national road called the N2, in between Mossel Bay and Storm’s River. We suggest you keep your camera at the ready whilst driving along this road because the N2 runs parallel to the shoreline and provides astonishing views of the ocean, the beaches and the cliffs. The whole of the Garden Route is unbelievably beautiful and dotted with lakes and lovely countryside.
Wilderness accommodation is quite classy without being extremely expensive. There are hotels all around the town center with beautiful gardens and have their own swimming pools if you do not feel like driving. The town is really tiny and is nestled in between a lovely lagoon and a beach, that was just recently granted the international “Blue Flag” status. The little town is entirely geared to making vacationers comfy so you will find numerous various dining establishments, a shopping center and a bank and an art gallery. There is additionally a church and a physicians office. So when you arrive in Wilderness, you don’t need to drive to get anywhere.
If you don’t mind a little bit of driving, then there are some really stunning places you can go to on day trips. Wilderness is 15km away from George, 40km from Mossel Bay, 60km from Oudtshoorn and 40km from Knysna. The roads are beautiful and you can even take the back roads to enjoy the wilder side of this area.
It is highly advised to visit the Goukama Nature Reserve which is incredible with its humungous yellow wood trees, its bush buck and duiker. If you are fortunate, you will see the bush pig taking a mud bath as well as monkeys and baboons doing their thing. The leopard and the caracal only come out during the night so they are not easy to spot. Camping is allowed in certain areas, but there arerules; you normally will not be permitted to light any fires therefore will have to bring gas along for food preparation.
The sea in Wilderness is calm and warm enough for swimming, and this is not usually the case in the Cape. This part of coastline gets the warm ocean current from the Indian Ocean, which is exactly what keeps the climate warm here throughout the year. In the winter months, the temperature never drops below 8 degrees Celsius and there is approximately 700mm of rain spread evenly over the whole year. The weather is most appropriate for the beach between October and April.
Wilderness has a vocation for hospitality and has been famous for it since the 1800′s. Coming to Wilderness, you will not get a contemporary and cold tourist area, but a welcoming and lively place that is rich in heritage and crafts. The beautiful craft markets that are held once or twice a month are an exceptional event to get to know the local individuals, who are eager and always friendly to chat with vacationers.
Wilderness is a town where you can take a tranquil beach-side holiday, where you can enjoy nature or where you can take day trips to the gorgeous surrounding towns. You can take scenic drives to locations like “Map of Africa” viewpoint or Dolphin Point, or you can delight in many of the sports and activities offered in the area.
Most of all, you can just enjoy the friendly and laid-back atmosphere of a beach-side resort with an “African Twist” to it.
We have been in the vacation accommodation business for sixteen years and are proud to have opened our fourteen room, boutique style guest house in Wilderness. Contact us for special deals at our website.
