When visiting Knysna it is no problem to find something entertaining to do. The major problem would be to find time to do it all.
Here are just 10 fun activities to do in and around Knysna.
Or have a look at the list of popular landmarks you can visit while you are here.
Land, sea, or air – Knysna is blessed with an astonishing array of biodiversity and natural habitats: evergreen forests, mountain fynbos, the Swartvlei (or Sedgefield Lagoon), the Knysna River Estuary (or Knysna Lagoon), the sweet water of the mysterious Groenvlei (where DOES* its water come from?), many rivers and streams, and the rocky shores and sandy beaches of our stretch of the Indian Ocean.
The Knysna Golf Club across the road is situated on the banks of a lagoon and has many tidal inlets that fill with salt water making the course an ideal place for many species of bird.
The salt water pools attract birds such as cormorants, spoonbills, little egrets and avocets. Weavers will often nest above the pools along with fiscal shrikes.
Fish eagles and forest buzzards can often be seen soaring above the course together with hadedas and sacred ibis.
You can enjoy some bird-watching from your room.
One of the many wonderful reasons to visit Knysna is the Knysna 5. All are indigenous to the area and three are listed as endangered.
Take a day to see the Knysna seahorse, Knysna dwarf chameleon, Knysna loerie, Knysna banana frog, and the Brenton blue butterfly.
Read more about these beautiful creatures.
Knysna is interwoven with two major wildlife preserves: CapeNature’s 2,500 ha Goukamma Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area (a World Heritage Site centred on Groenvlei and the Goukamma River, near Buffalo Bay), and the Garden Route National Park – which protects a mosaic of over 160,000 hectares of the region, and includes both the Swartvlei and the Knysna lagoon.
You can further enjoy a visit to Knysna Elephant Park (est. 1994), the first facility in South Africa to house and care for orphaned African elephants. Over the last twenty years, the park has cared for and raised more than forty elephants. These animals include relocated animals, orphaned calves, and elephants rescued from culls. Some have become part of the resident herd, others have moved onto other reserves and facilities in the Western and Eastern Cape, depending on their personalities, bonds with other animals and welfare needs.
For something different have a outing to Garden Route Wolf Sanctuary, where you will have an up close and informative experience with huskies, wolf dogs and wolves. To meet them is an experience never forgotten. The very helpful guides will share the various stories of the fury friends, some rescues and others surrendered. They also have a farm yard with a variety of animals including some unexpected members such as emu and alpacas, a favorite with small children. It is a family farm with play areas and a small cafe with delicious snacks and treats.
Knysna’s remarkable stretch of coastline is considered one of the most spectacular along the South African coast and boosts varied ecosystems and unique marine reserves. Take a trip with Ocean Odyssey and experience the adjacent Indian Ocean in all it’s show-stopping abundance of marine life including whales, dolphins, seals, sharks and a host of pelagic bird species.
