Garden Route coastal fynbos walks

What it is

The Garden Route is the stretch of South Africa's south coast roughly between Mossel Bay and the Storms River. The name comes from its greenness, not from planted gardens. Its walks mix two kinds of vegetation: coastal fynbos on the headlands, with ericas, proteas and pelargoniums, and tall evergreen forest in the gorges. The Robberg peninsula near Plettenberg Bay has a circular trail over flowering slopes with seals below. The Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park has cliff paths and forest. In George, a small botanical garden shows the plants of the southern Cape.

Before you go

• Spring is best for flowers. The coast has rain in every season, so pack a jacket.
• Start the Robberg loop early and check the tide for the beach section.
• Allow three or four days to drive the route with walks.

The flowers you will see

EricaEvergreen shrubs with tiny needle leaves and nodding flowers, known as heaths or heathersProteaLarge-headed South African flowers called sugarbushes, with many wild speciesPelargoniumA diverse group of flowering plants often grown as garden and house plants

Also part of it, and being written: Leucadendron, Watsonia.

More in South Africa

🇿🇦 Springbok · Aug to SepNamaqualand daisy seasonA semi-desert in the north-west of South Africa that turns orange with daisies after winter rain. 🇿🇦 Cape Town · Aug to SepThe flower route from Cape Town to NieuwoudtvilleA spring road trip north from Cape Town through a chain of wildflower reserves. 🇿🇦 Pretoria · Oct to NovJacaranda season in PretoriaTens of thousands of street trees turn South Africa's capital purple each October. 🇿🇦 Cape Town · All yearKirstenbosch National Botanical GardenA garden of South African plants on the slopes of Table Mountain, at its best from late winter to spring. 🇿🇦 Cape Town · All yearAdderley Street flower sellersA covered lane off Cape Town's main street where families have sold flowers for generations. 🇿🇦 Cape Town · Aug to NovFynbos walks on the Cape Peninsula and at HermanusDay walks through the Cape floral kingdom, the smallest and one of the richest plant regions on earth.