If you want to enjoy the wide open spaces of nature in the forest, at the beach or on the lagoon, then the Garden Route region of the south Cape coast of Africa is perfect for you. I love exploring the numerous diverse natural environments in this well-named and perhaps most beautiful region of the entire southern Africa.
Idyllic restaurant table on the lagoon
Perhaps I’m biased, having been born and raised in the Cape province, as it’s known, yet having lived my entire life here, of over 50 years, I am still as happy and inspired to bask in the radiant splendor of this majestic and yet also tranquil nature paradise.
Our boat might need a little clean-up
The sea and its long stretch of beach is a perfect place to charge the batteries, so to speak. Or to bask in the healthy ionized atmosphere, if you prefer the more scientific approach. And just alongside the coastal stretch of beach are the numerous lagoons or lakes. The lake district – if I may borrow a label – stretches from Wilderness village in the west, all the way to Plettenberg Bay about 50 kilometers to the east, along the southern strip of African coastline. This region is rightly called the Garden Route, and it is a top tourist destination by world standards.
Let's go boating
I have spent some awesome days along this stretch of coastline, and today I want to show you a little lesser known angle on the Keurbooms lagoon, which nestles beside the town of Plettenberg Bay at the eastern end of the Garden Route. In my opinion, the two towns at the far west and far east of the region are the best aspects, with their pristine white beaches of clean sand and surf.
low tide on the lagoon
The lagoon, like the coastline, is mostly deserted. I presume it’s because the place is large and the population is sparse. Add to that the fact that most of the indigenous African locals are not really beach lovers or nature explorers. It appears to be out of their sphere of interest, which I find curious. I, on the other hand, love spending hours on the beach and at the lagoon on any day of the year. Each to their own, I guess.
View from the cliffs above
The deserted expanse of marine and lagoon habitat is clean, clear and empty of any humans most of the time. Occasionally you might see a lone fisherman, literally a man catching fish. Or perhaps someone walking their dog. Or you might see the occasional nature lover like me, walking about or canoeing along in the lagoon.
Deserted vast expanse of beautiful beach with the town of Plett in the distance
As you can see in the photos today, this region is devoid of people. Of course, the town is in the background, and residents have their homes dotted all along the shoreline and around the lagoon itself, but in the vast expanse of space, you see hardly any of them. What a strange paradise, filled with vast amounts of empty space and packed with solitude, salt, sea and sky.
Peaceful forest spring in the ancient Harkerville Forest that hugs the coast
Perhaps I’m the oddball. Where is everyone? Surely other folks must also be like me and love spending time outdoors surrounded by vast expanses of pure and healthy nature? We all have our subjective preferences and perception of reality – what is good or bad, attractive or repulsive. Well, I love this kind of wide open natural surroundings by the water, and yet it’s perhaps only kids who can also really access this mindset or lifestyle out of choice.
Paradise in the forest uplifts the heart and mind of all who experience it
Kids are carefree and like to play, with no responsibilities or urgency to survive. I presume the adults in the room are all hard at work trying to keep a roof over their head and food in the cupboard for the kids, or they are retired and too old to spend much time outdoors enjoying nature. Or the indigenous Africans are relishing the frills of modern living indoors, considering the outdoors in nature to be primitive and beneath them. I don’t know.
Forest hiking trails with their own magic in the air
Well, if you’re like me and you enjoy exploring in nature, then all this space is here for you, along with the peace and good health it provides. Foreigners do indeed migrate here to relocate and settle. Many retired Europeans live in this hidden treasure of a place called the Garden Route. I moved here from the city of Cape Town in order to upgrade my surroundings too.
Many kilometers of forest hiking trail await you at the Garden Route coast, South Africa
And at present masses of people are relocating here from the big cities in the north of the country, like Johannesburg and Pretoria. In fact they are fleeing the urban decay and collapse setting in in the north of South Africa. This is the last stronghold of civility in the country it seems, where potholes are filled in your roads, drinking water still flows in your municipal taps at home, and you are relatively safe from hijackers and burglars.
Unusual roots on this forest tree
Unfortunately the entire country, including this pristine tourist region, is at the mercy of the collapsing power grid, which only supplies the nation with electricity for 18 to 20 hours out of 24. That can only be mitigated by buying yourself a solar power system or something independent like that for your power needs. So collapse and decay is unavoidable on that level. And actually the entire planet is catching up to sunny South Africa too, as everyone runs out of cheap power, including USA and EU and UK. Welcome to my world. We’ve had power cuts for years already, perhaps over a decade, on and off, pun intended.
A little bird visits me in the car to tell me the news
Nevertheless, here in sunny Garden Route district, also called the Eden Municipality (for good reason) life outdoors under the pleasant sun, is blissful and healthy. After all, it never snows here. It’s always mild, all year long. At most I see snow on the distant mountain tops for three or four days a year. Now that is a surreal sight – to be on a hot sunny beach under a clear blue sky and to be able to see snow in the far distance on the highest peak of the local mountain range. We’ll have to wait a few more months for that sighting again.
Indigenous Fynbos flora to light up your life
For now though, I will continue to roam about along these deserted shores of the Indian ocean and the adjoining Keurbooms lagoon, relishing the eternal sunshine of the spotless beach, and perhaps paddling about in a little boat, gently down the stream, where life truly does feel like one big dream.
(photos my own)