WHAT TO SEE IN THE GARDEN ROUTE

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Day 7: What to see on the Garden Route: Cape Agulhas, Hoop Nature Reserve

Today we begin the route through places what to see in the Garden Route, one of the most famous routes in the country that we will do on this trip to South Africa in 25 days and that begins in the Mossel Bay area and ends in the Tsitsikamma National Park, which we will visit in a couple of days, but before as you We told yesterday, after the whale watching in Hermanus, we are going to do a tour at 6:30 in the morning to see whales much closer than we saw them yesterday and that has turned out to be a unique and inexplicable experience.

As we said yesterday, we wanted to include this experience in the same Hermanus article, so that all the experience reported in the same post remained, despite having done it on different days.
If you want to know more about this tour, don't forget to read the post about whale watching in Hermanus.
Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus.
Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus from Cape Town.

Tour to see whales in Hermanus

After two and a half hours of a pure spectacle of nature, in which we return to check how small we are and the urgent need we have to respect the environment around us, we return to the port, where we collect the rental car in South Africa and return to Hermanus Backpackers & Budget Accommodation, our accommodation in Hermanus tonight, where we collect luggage, have breakfast quickly and from where we start today's route through the places to see on the Garden Route in South Africa, which will take us to Cape Agujas or Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa.

What to see on the Garden Route in South Africa

Known as one of the most beautiful routes in the country, the Garden Route or Garden Route is a road, in this case the N2, in its passage through the coastal area between Mossel Bay and the Tistsikamma National Park, in which in addition to the bays , the incredible white sand dunes and pristine beaches, highlight the forests of impressive trees that remain from the primary forest that existed between the Knysna and Wilderness areas.

Although technically as we mentioned before, the Garden Route begins in Mossel Bay, many travelers extend the route to Hermanus, thus making a route through many more interesting points and places to see in the Garden Route. Although there are many more, we recommend the following, which are the ones we will visit during the next three days that we will be in this area of the country before finishing the first stage of South Africa for free.

Cabo Agulhas: Considered as the southernmost point in Africa, this place is not exactly on the Garden Route, although it is a must for a tour of the country, where you can also see the place where the warm current of Agulhas and the cold of Benguela.
De Hoop: This impressive and emblematic reserve houses some of the most impressive landscapes we have seen in South Africa. Little known, we recommend you stop at least one morning or one afternoon to do some of its trails and if you are lucky, keep watching whales on the coast.
Mossel Bay: In the western part of a wide bay is Mossel Bay, a summer resort, to which we have to confess, we do not find much charm, but it is a perfect stop to stretch your legs and have a drink in front of the sea.
Wilderness: Known for its famous beach of 18 kilometers in length, this town without too much interest, is another perfect place to stop to eat and yes, enjoy the incredible views of the landscapes that surround it.
Knysna - The Heads: Knysna is undoubtedly the most famous town to see on the Garden Route, although we, like the previous ones, have to say they don't seem essential. That said, we have to say that the landscapes that surround them are incredible and that the natural parks that we have not had the luck to visit and dot the area, we have read are impressive.
Plettenberg Bay: Very popular and popular with locals, Pletterberg Bay is a small town with Lookout Beach, more than 10 kilometers long, and Keurbooms Beach, a virgin beach.
Tsitsikamma: One of the most impressive nature reserves in South Africa, especially its famous trail of suspension bridges.

What to see on the Garden Route in South Africa

Taking into account our experience doing this route, from Hermanus to Tsitsikamma we would dedicate 4 full days, distributed as follows:

Hermanus (1 day)
Cape Needles - De Hoop (1 day)
Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay (1 day)
Tsitsikamma (1 day)

Cape Needles

As a summary, we want to highlight from the places to see on the Garden Route, we are without a doubt with all those that involve natural surroundings, since these yes that we believe are essential. In contrast, the locations that are highlighted on the route, at least for us have not had special interest, although they are always a good stop to take a walk through its most central area and thus also learn a little more about the culture.

We leave you a map with the places to see in the Garden Route that we talked about previously so you can get an idea of the location.

After the first part of the day enjoying the whales again, it is time to start the route of the places to see on the Garden Route, going from Hermanus to Cape Agulhas. The recommended route follows the N2, a much more direct road, but from what we have read, you can make a small detour, going along the road that takes you to Gaansbay and does not add more than 40 minutes to the journey and takes you for some of the most spectacular landscapes in South Africa.
After doing it we have to say that despite the fact that the first part, about 5-10 kilometers, is very nice since it runs along the coast, the rest of the road is not too impressive, so if you do not have to come until Gaansbay, we believe that it is not necessary to make this modification to the route.

Gaansbay, the place to swim with the white shark in South Africa

You've probably heard of Gaansbay. Or the white shark of South Africa. Or both. There are few travelers who come here to swim with white sharks, as it is one of the few places in the world where it can be done.
In our case, we value doing so for a long time until we start reading about the companies that do it. Once we had the information, we decided that this tour was not responsible at any time, since all the companies feed the sharks so that they approach the cages, causing behavior changes in them.
Given this, we decided that it was best not to swim with the white shark since logically we were not going to feel comfortable knowing that we were contributing in a very direct way in an irresponsible activity with nature.

Although we understand that this is something very personal, we want to record here what our reasons for refusing to swim with sharks in South Africa have been and if you want to do it, all we ask is that you try to read a little about this topic and then decide if you want to do it or not, but always having the necessary information.

After this detour through Gaansbay we arrive at Cape Agulhas when it is 11 am going directly to the lighthouse, where we are approximately 15 minutes and from where we follow the road until we reach the famous Cabo Agujas cartel, where you can take your photo in the southernmost point of the continent.

Cape Agujas, the southernmost point of Africa

Cabo Agulhas cartel

From the lighthouse there is a path that runs parallel to the coast, of just over a kilometer, in which you can see a ship stranded on the rocks and that we, because it is very windy and a I forget, we let pass as we make this journey by car, to go directly to the cartel.
In this area there is also a sculpture, of the relief of Africa where the union of the Atlantic and Indian oceans is marked and as we mentioned, the place where the famous cartel is located for which most tourists come. And, although the landscape is really beautiful, it has nothing to do with the Cape of Good Hope, where we were the day we made the route through the places to see in the Cape Peninsula, which is much more spectacular.

Cape Needles

Touching the sea in Cabo Agujas

We are here practically an hour, enjoying this symbolic place, since we take it in a very relaxed way, for when there are a few minutes to 11:30 to make our way to the last stop today by the places to see on the Garden Route, which is none other than the Hoop Reserve, about 80 kilometers from Cape Agulhas, where we arrived at 1pm.

At this time we have to confess that we have not read much about this place and we have not seen many photos, so before doing the visit we did not know exactly what we were going to find or if it would be worth it or not spend an afternoon as we were going to do. After the experience, we have to say that it is one of the places to see in the most essential Garden Route and one of the most brutal landscapes we have ever seen, so we advise you not to miss it and it is more, whenever you can, to dedicate A full day and stay indoors, in the area of the trail through the dunes. We assure you that you will not regret it.

More practical information to prepare your trip to South Africa
- 10 essential places to see in South Africa
- The best tips for traveling to South Africa

Hoop Nature Reserve

Incredible natural space of the Western Cape Province, De Hoop is one of the eight areas of this province that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The protected marine area extends 5 kilometers out of the sea and as we will comment on several occasions, among the many animal species that can be found stand out the mountain zebras, smaller than those we can see in the Kruger and the southern right whales, which They can be seen on these coasts between June and November.

Hoop

What to do in the Hoop Nature Reserve

Countless activities can be carried out within De Hoop, among them mountain bike rides, game drives, keep in mind that there are many animals, and trails from one day to several days in length, among which the famous Whale Trail stands out that a 5-day route along the coast and the mountain, with spectacular views and many opportunities to observe whales and for which it is necessary to book because it has a limited number of people admitted.
The trails that we are going to highlight are those that can be done in a few hours, understanding that these are one of the activities what to do on the Garden Route, as it has been for us, only for a few hours.

Hoop Nature Reserve

- Coastal Trail of Hoop (5 kilometers):
This linear trail starts at Koppie Alleen, one of De Hoop's best points for whale watching. From here you can walk directly on the beach or take a walk along the rocky coast, through some conditioned walkways so that the vegetation of the routes that run along the beach is not stepped on.
This path is best done at low tide, since it is much easier to walk on the sand of the beach. You can see the status of the tides in the information office. If you do not have time or do not want to complete it, you have the possibility of going around the same path, since this is linear.

Coastal trail in De Hoop

Keep in mind that before accessing these walkways and this coastal path, turning right from the parking lot, an incredible world of giant white sand dunes is waiting for you. Many people come to this path only to go along the coast but we advise you to do this part of the Coastal Trail, in which impressive sand dunes, from which you can see the whales on the coast, are one of the most incredible landscapes of South Africa.

Hoop

From Hoop Klipspringer Trail (6 kilometers)
This trail is circular and passes through the Potberg Mountains, in the northeast area of the reserve. The walk begins at the center of environmental education in Potberg from where the views of the Breede river valley are really impressive.
In our experience, if you can only do one of them, the Coastal Path or Allen Koppie is much more recommended and above all, spectacular.

Whales in De Hoop

As happens in Hermanus, in the Hoop Nature Reserve it is possible to see southern right whales, between June and November from the same coast of the reserve, something that has done it, next to the previous one, in one of the best areas of whale watching on land of the world.
World Heritage, during the winter months, from June to November, its coasts receive hundreds of whales that come to mate, feed and give birth to the young, this being a perfect showcase for travelers who can see them from the dunes without disturbing them.

Whale in the Hoop Nature Reserve

Tips to visit De Hoop

The price of admission to De Hoop is R50 per person, but it is included in the Wild Card.
The reservation schedule is from 7 am to 6 pm.
Something important is to check the directions to get to De Hoop since neither on its website nor in the GPS is very clear. From Cape Town you must take the N2 in the direction of Somerset West continuing towards Caledon. There you must turn right towards Bredasdorp and continue towards the Natural Reserve of Hoop. When you arrive at the sign, you should turn right towards Buchu Buschcamp which is the path that leads directly to the entrance of the nature reserve.
At the box office, after paying or showing the Wild Card, they will give you a map with which we advise you to familiarize yourself before doing any trail.
Something important to keep in mind is that there are accommodations within the reserve, including one right next to the coast that is really wonderful being next to the dunes. In our case, if we came again, we would definitely opt for this option.

Accommodation in De Hoop

Please note that there is only one restaurant in De Hoop on the reservation, where there is also accommodation. We eat here, in the Fig Tree restaurant, just 3 kilometers from the entrance where we ask for a couple of sandwiches and two beer for R370, before making the trails and the truth is that it is a highly recommended option.
In addition to this restaurant, on the coastal path, which is what we recommend you do, halfway there is a small stall where they sell drinks.
Although the trail is not demanding, it is worth coming with comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and hat, especially on hot days.
Although, as we have said, there is a drinks stand in the middle of the coastal path, try to bring enough food and water if you think you are going to do the full path.
If you come in winter, wear warm clothes.
Respect nature. Forever.

Hoop

It is 1:30 in the afternoon, when after paying the entrance fee and checking the map with the possible trails, we decide that it is best to approach the Fig Tree restaurant just 3 kilometers from the entrance of the reserve where we eat a couple of sandwich more water beer and two expresses for R370 that in addition to serving us to gain strength, allow us to revisit the plan and decide that of the three paths we had in mind, in the end we will decide on Koppie Allen, or coastal path, of 5 kilometers that cross the dunes, with really spectacular landscapes, from where even, if you are lucky, you can see whales on the coast.

We start the trail at 2:30 in the afternoon, starting with the dune area and we can only say that after 3 hours enjoying this place, De Hoop has become one of the most incredible places we have ever seen. That is why without a doubt, if you have a morning or an afternoon, we can only recommend making this stop on the Garden Route, since we are sure you will not regret it.
And if in addition to these incredible landscapes you can see whales, we see more than 20 on the coast, many of them very close, the summary of De Hoop is simply BRUTAL.

Landscapes of De Hoop

After enjoying one of the most incredible places in the world, when it is 5:30 in the afternoon, we return to the parking lot to pick up the rental car and head to Malgas, where we arrived 40 minutes later and where we stayed at the Malagas Hotel, our accommodation in Malgas tonight, which passes without penalty or glory, in which we also have breakfast and dinner included, which like the accommodation, leave a lot to be desired, but that have helped us to catch up a bit With work, download the hundreds of photos we have today and rest for tomorrow, continue with the beautiful Garden Route of South Africa.

We leave you a map with the stops of the route today for the places to see on the Garden Route that include Cape Agulhas and the Hoop Nature Reserve.

Day 8: Tour the Garden Route in South Africa: Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna - The Heads and Plettenberg Bay