An attractive holiday resort with beautiful beaches. A strong backwash makes swimming dangerous at some places. Dolphin's Point is a good vantage point from which to watch the whales and dolphins. Knysna loeries glide through the forests, cormorans soar in the sky, and the giant kingfisher skims across the lakes in search of prey. Not surprisingly, bird-watchers are in their element here.
Water sports are a major feature and hikers have a selection of day trails to choose from.
Apart from ferns and orchids, there's always a chance of spotting a bontebok, a bushbuck or a Cape clawless otter. Mossel Bay Site of the first landfall made by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias in 1488, this popular holiday resort has fine beaches and excellent water sports amenities. The Bartholomeu Dias Museum Complex is dominated by a life-sized replica of Dias' caravel, and features fascinating exhibits on early Portuguese, Dutch and British maritime explorers. The St Blaise Hiking Trail offers unequalled views of the beautiful, unspoilt coastline. Albertinia Set on a lovely expanse of coastline, Albertinia is the site of the only aloe factory in South Africa.