Knysna Lagoon & The Heads

Two sandstone headlands frame a narrow channel to the sea, protecting a tranquil lagoon town; boat trips on the lagoon and eating oysters are the Garden Route's signature experiences.

Knysna is the liveliest town in the middle of the Garden Route. South of the town lies a river-mouth lagoon of about 18 square kilometres, connected to the Indian Ocean through a channel only about 250 metres wide between two towering sandstone cliffs, East Head and West Head. The channel has strong currents and reefs, and it has sunk countless ships over the centuries; the Royal Navy once called it one of the most dangerous harbour entrances in the world. Things to do: (1) Drive directly up to East Head, where the viewpoint overlooks giant waves at the river mouth and the whole lagoon, and a footpath below leads past small beaches and rocks. (2) West Head is part of the privately owned Featherbed Nature Reserve; you must take a ferry from Knysna harbour, ride a tractor-trailer up the hill and walk back down, visiting caves and the coastline. (3) Eat locally farmed Knysna oysters at the Knysna Waterfront or on Thesen Island; an oyster festival is held every July. (4) Take a boat or catamaran tour of the lagoon and watch the sunset. (5) The lagoon is the habitat of the endangered Knysna seahorse. The Knysna forest to the north is home to a few wild African forest elephants (extremely hard to see) and the colourful Knysna turaco. A major fire in 2017 burned large areas around the town, which have since recovered. Coordinates are taken near the East Head viewpoint.

Knysna Lagoon & The Heads

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby