Tsitsikamma Tourism Association

Tsitsikamma – the Garden of the Garden Route welcomes you – Tsitsikamma is a khoi word meaning “place of abundant or sparkling water”. The region, which sits on a 200m high plateau stretches from the Bloukrans River in the west to the Tsitsikamma River in the east, is bordered on the north by the imposing Tsitsikamma Mountains and in the south by the Indian Ocean. The area is covered in large tracts of indigenous forest, commercial plantation and Fynbos. Deep river gorges cleft the plateau as they make their way down to the sea, creating spectacular waterfalls and deep kloofs (ravines). The water in the rivers is a characteristic dark brown (Coca Cola Water) due to its high tannin content leached from the surrounding vegetation. A mild all year round climate (temperature variations only between 10 °C and 25 °C generally) allows one to make the most of all the outdoor activities that are on offer, whilst a high rainfall in excess of 1200mm per year ensures the lushness of vegetation that the area is renowned for. The region is accessed directly from the N2 National Road that passes through the area on an east to west line. This section of road is one of only a few highways in the world to have 3 bridges in excess of 152 meters in height. Traveling through the eastern Tsitsikamma, the R102 provincial road offers a scenic alternative to the N2 through the countryside, passing Witels Peak, Witelsbos Forestry Station, Oudebosch and Eerste Rivier. On the western border, the Groot Rivier Pass leads off the N2 and meanders through the fynbos plateau before descending through enchanting indigenous forest down to Natures Valley, well-known for its lagoon and golden beach.