The hint is in the name here, the best activities in Wilderness all involve being outdoors and when it is this pretty, why wouldn’t you want to be? It is definitely not what I would describe as out in the “wild” though (thank god, as I have no desire to develop survival skills or start camping), this is wilderness in the sense of lots of natural beauty, yet with the local coffee shop still within reach.
WILDERNESS BEACH
I am a beach girl through and through and this one is spectacular in every way. If you approach Wilderness from the West, you will get to see this huge stretch of sand in all it’s glory as you descend into the town; it is possibly the best view you will see along all of the Garden Route, trust me, that’s saying something! Come at sunrise or sunset for a stunning time to go for a walk along the beach (which goes on for literally miles); you can do a bit of dream home shopping looking at the houses alongside the beach as well. The beach is also a popular place for kitesurfing as the waves here are great and there is often a breeze in the air.
DOLPHIN POINT LOOKOUT
This is a great place to stop and just admire the views across Wilderness coastline to the East and the Kaaimans River mouth and tidal estuary. Look down and you’ll see the old railway bridge crossing the river mouth. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, the last operating passenger steam train in South Africa, used to travel across this route until 2006 when torrential weather damaged several parts of the coastal tracks and the service was eventually halted.
As you may have guessed, there is also a half decent chance you will spot dolphins and maybe even the occasional whale, although you’ll need good eyesight or a decent pair of binoculars.
MILKWOOD VILLAGE
A cute little shopping centre, there are a variety of restaurants, craft shops and art galleries here all clustered around a shaded courtyard. On Fridays between 4:00pm and 9:00pm they hold a night market with live music, market stalls and when we went, a bonfire as well.
WILDERNESS NATIONAL PARK
Located at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, this section of the Garden Route National Park has all the outdoor adventure activities you could possibly think of; hiking, canoeing, fishing, bird spotting, paragliding and abseiling to name but a few.
The landscape here is incredibly diverse and a perfect representation as to why this area of South Africa is referred to as the Garden Route; not only do you have the mountains to directly to the north and the beach to the south, there is lots of indigenous forest, the winding Touw River and the Wilderness lagoon.
The most westerly of the four camps in the Garden Route National Park is located here, Ebb & Flow Rest Camp. Whether you are staying at the accommodation or not, this is where the facilities are (including parking, bathrooms and picnic stops) and where many of the activities start.
HIKING IN WILDERNESS
While I love a bit of activity, I prefer it on the more moderate than intense side, so hiking is generally my go to! There are five main hiking trails in Wilderness National Park, all between 3.5km and 7.2km round trip, all varying in level of difficulty. If you’re really keen you can turn them into multi-day hikes (less my speed unless there is a comfy bed, wine and a hot tub involved!) and add some canoeing on as well.
The Giant Kingfisher Trail, is the most popular one, starting at the Ebb & Flow Rest Camp. It passes a lovely waterfall, with the last section of the walk being via boardwalk. You can view this and details of the other four hiking trails here.
WHERE TO EAT IN WILDERNESS
There isn’t loads of choice, but luckily they do a good restaurant in this neck of the woods, with a decent choice of cuisine, so finding great places to eat in Wilderness isn’t hard work. We will be sharing our recommendations in new posts in future, so be sure to check back again!
BEST TIME TO VISIT WILDERNESS
Anywhere along the Garden Route is best visited in their summer if you love good weather, so that’s anytime between October and March. If you can avoid December and the first couple of weeks in January (South Africa’s summer holiday when the kids are off school) they you will find it quieter and cheaper.
If whale watching is your game, then you need to be here between May and November to have a chance at seeing the whales migrate down the coast. Be aware that Wilderness can get quite windy, especially on the beach which can reduce the temperature quite significantly, even in summer.
WHAT TO DO IN WILDERNESS
For me, this is the best kind of wilderness; wild yet not remote. If you are a big outdoors and adventure activity person you will absolutely love it here. If, however, you’re more like me and like your outdoor activities to be on the more moderate side, I definitely wouldn’t recommend basing yourself here unless you are lucky enough to snag one of those beach side villas.
One way or the other, this is definitely one of the top places to see on the Garden Route, if only for that beach alone.