“The Garden of the Garden Route” welcomes you to the area the ancient San people called the “place of many waters.”
This land lies between the sea and the Tsitsikamma Mountains and stretches from the Bloukrans River in the West to Clarkson in the East. Beautiful indigenous forest, protected by the State, is home to centuries old trees such as Yellowwood, Stinkwood, Hard Pear, Ironwood, Kamassi an
d many others. Tsitsikamma is a khoi word meaning "place of abundant or sparkling water". The region stretches from the Bloukrans River in the west to Eerste Rivier in the east, is bordered on the north by the imposing Tsitsikamma mountains and in the south by the Indian Ocean. The area is covered in large tracts of indigenous forest, commercial plantation and Fynbos. Deep river gorges cleft the plateau as they make their way down to the sea, creating spectacular waterfalls and deep kloofs. A mild all year round climate allows one to make the most of all the outdoor activities that are on offer, whilst a high rainfall ensures the lushness of vegetation that the area is renowned for. Storms River Village stemmed from a shooting box built by TH Duthie in 1841, then developed into a construction camp for the builders and was declared a crown village in 1885. It offers a couple of small shops; postal agency, liquor store, police station, curio shop, various restaurants and a choice of accommodation options. Tsitsikamma National Park, declared in 1964, encompasses a marine reserve made up of 80km of coastline and offers the visitor magnificent scenery, walks, a small beach, restaurant and shop. The famous Storms River suspension Bridge spans the river mouth. There is also the Natures Valley rest camp at natures Valley. www.sanparks.org | Tel: 042 2811 607
Eerste Rivier, a holiday village, lies on a rocky coastline. The Fynbos Golf & Country Estate offers a 18-hole golf course which is open to the public. Tel: 042 2850 321
