Towards the end of the Garden Route you will find the 65 km long Tsitsikamma National Park. This is a "must" for every tourist that visits South Africa to see. The first thing you will notice is the black colour of the water. This is caused by mineral deposits in the water so please do not drink this water! At the entrance to the Park you can book a boat trip to explore the canyon. This used to be a lot bigger, but the ocean level has risen in the past few years causing the depth of the canyon to decrease. Due to the flooded river deltas you can only see part of the canyon, but it will still amaze you and the colour of the water adds to the spectacular effect. There are tropical plants and green ferns at the sides of the canyon and, on sunny days, these ferns constantly change colour. Between the 15th and 18th century, Hottentot fishermen came to the Tsitsikamma area as they had heard of the wealth of fish here. In the language of the Strandloper Hottentots, Tsitsikamma means “the Land of the Water”. Nowadays many tourists visit the National Park. Hikers and sports enthusiasts find a coastline and moutain range that leave most people breathless.   Location From Knysna take the N2 to Plettenberg Bay. Drive about 70 km further and the Nature reserve will be on the right side.   Weather April, May, September and October are the rainy months. November to March is the summer season and is definitely the best time for a visit to the Tsitsikamma National Park.   Fauna / Flora The flora and fauna in this area of the Garden Route is tropical and rich in variety. The entire forest has an area of about 65000 hectares. The roadsides have good signage to lead you to, amongst other attractions, the ancient Yellow Wood trees.  Some of these trees 800 years old and have a circumference of up to 12 meters and a height of about 50 meters. Between the Paul Sauer Bridge and the Storms River Mouth you can see one of the oldest Yellow Wood trees. This is known as the “Groot Boom”.   Animals are not often seen in the Park as the dense forest makes it hard to spot them. There is, however, a rich variety of bird-life.   Nature's Valley is another beautiful town to visit in this area. From Plettenberg Bay you will reach Nature's Valley via the N2 and the R102. Nature's Valley is a small coastal town with a large lagoon, the Groot River lagoon. You can go out onto the Groot River with canoes and enjoy the tranquil beauty of this little town.   The famous hiking trail, the Otter Trail, lies between Nature's Valley and Storms River.  The forest stretches to the beach that is a picturesque end-point for hikers.   Attractions Golf The Dolphin Trail Big 5 Game Park Nature's Valley Para-gliding Hang-gliding Ornithology Hiking Trails Mountain biking Abseiling Hiking trails in the Tsitsikamma Mountains Bungee Jumping (213 meters)   Distances to towns     Swellendam     Oudtshoorn     Knysna     Port Elizabeth     Cape Town 375 km 200 km 90 km 200 km 610 km         Please visit:   Knysna - Plettenberg Bay - Mossel Bay - Port Elizabeth - George - Tsitsikamma Park - Wilderness - Oudtshoorn - Otter Trail - Cango Caves       South Africa Cape Town Guest Houses Accommodation Immigration White Shark Cage Diving Hotels Car Hire Property Garden Route Car Rental Camps Bay Hotel Garden Route Cape Town South Africa  South Africa  Cape Town Guesthouses  Cape Town Hotels  Cape Town  Cape Town Accommodation  Car Hire Cape Town  Cape Town Photos  South Africa Immigration  Cape Town Property  Cape Town Info  White Shark Cage Diving  Garden Route  South Africa Info  Immigration to South Africa  Car Rental South Africa   Camps Bay  Camps Bay Accommodation  Cape Town Tours & Trips South Africa Immigration Hotel Accommodation Self-Catering Rent a Car Cape Town Camps Bay Knysna George Plettenberg Bay Photos Wildlife Cape Town Day Trips Tours and Safaris Cape Town City Tours Safari Day Trips