From the Kaaimans bridge you see the river first, then the railway bridge over the mouth, then the sea. The N2 winds down the Kaaimans Pass here and gives you the first view of Wilderness: a holiday town between a beach that runs for kilometres and a system of lakes and rivers that belongs to the Garden Route National Park. The place lives off water on both sides: surf in front, the Touw River behind, where you hire a canoe and paddle upstream to a waterfall.
- east of Mossel Bay, about an hour
- 65 km
- by canoe as far as the waterfall
- Touw River
- viewpoint above the Kaaimans River
- Map of Africa
- Garden Route National Park, Wilderness section
- National park
Up on the hill above town, on the road to Hoekwil, sits the Map of Africa viewpoint: the Kaaimans River has cut a loop into the land whose outline from above looks like the continent. Paragliders launch next to it. For the national park you pay an entry fee; the tariffs are with SANParks, worth checking before you go. Wilderness lies about an hour from Mossel Bay, past George, and it is the place you stay if you plan the Garden Route around two bases.
- Time needed
- a day
- Cost
- beach and viewpoint free, national park by SANParks tariff
- When
- all year, canoeing in calm weather
- From Mossel Bay
- 65 km, 60 minutes
Our tipStop at the lay-by above the Kaaimans bridge just before Wilderness, with its view of the railway bridge. Then up to the Map of Africa, then down to the beach. That gives you Wilderness from above, from the side and from below.
Wilderness: frequently asked questions
How far is Wilderness from Mossel Bay?
Around 65 kilometres on the N2, roughly an hour, down the Kaaimans Pass past George. That makes Wilderness the furthest trip from Mossel Bay that still works as half a day.
What is the Map of Africa in Wilderness?
A viewpoint above Wilderness on the road to Hoekwil: the Kaaimans River has cut a loop into the land whose outline from above looks like the African continent. Access is free, and paragliders launch alongside it.
Can you go canoeing in Wilderness?
Yes, on the Touw River behind the beach, which is part of the Garden Route National Park. Canoes are for hire in the village and in the park, and the river runs upstream between ferns to a waterfall. Park entry is by SANParks tariff, worth checking before you drive over from Mossel Bay.