Touw River
Canoes and trails.
South African Tourism from South Africa — CC BY 2.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Axel Bührmann from Here, South Africa — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · M.Uebel — Public domain · Mart Bouter — CC BY-SA 3.0 · South African Tourism from South Africa — CC BY 2.0 · South African Tourism from South Africa — CC BY 2.0
Wilderness is a small seaside town on the Garden Route in the Western Cape, where the Touw River meets the Indian Ocean, about 14 km east of George and 41 km in a straight line west of Knysna. Behind it lies the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, a chain of rivers, lakes and wetlands between forested hills and the sea. The town's beach is a long sweep of sand backed by dunes, running for kilometres east of the river mouth, with views from the Dolphin's Point lookout on the main road above. The sea here has strong currents, so swim only in calm conditions and near lifeguards. The park's walking trails follow the Touw River upstream through indigenous forest, the Giant Kingfisher Trail leads to a waterfall, and canoes can be hired to paddle up the river. The lakes, among them Island Lake, Langvlei and Rondevlei, are known for their birds. West of town, the Map of Africa viewpoint looks down on a river bend shaped like the African continent, and paragliders launch from the ridge nearby. Just to the west, the old railway bridge over the Kaaimans River mouth is a favourite photo spot. A conservation fee applies on the trails inside the national park.
Canoes and trails.
The river bend.
Dunes and sand.
Wilderness, Western Cape, South Africa
Currents are strong; swim only in calm conditions near lifeguards.
Walking, canoeing and bird watching.