Wilderness - Introduction
As far back as the late 1800's the reputation of Wilderness with its natural bounty of rivers and lakes and intrinsic peace and tranquillity, ideal for seaside holidays, was established in a little stone farmhouse. A seaside boarding house was established in the old homestead - and so began the tradition of hospitality which has made this small resort famous all over the world.
Inset: Paragliding at Wilderness courtesy of Cloudbase Paragliding
The farmhouse is now part of the Karos Wilderness Hotel, previously known as the Wilderness Hotel, which was rebuilt and expanded after it was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1985.
The romantic resort of Wilderness lies 15 km east of George, between the Kaaimans River in the West and the Goukamma Nature Reserve in the east, bordered by the Outeniqua Mountains in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south.
Wilderness is renowned for its vast stretches of beach, its peace and tranquillity and the absence of windswept headlands and wild, stormy seas. The long stretch of beach embraces the mouths of the Touw and Kaaimans Rivers, and is backed by northward cliffs over which the fringe of the forest reaches down to sea level.
Wilderness not only overlooks the sea, but also the placid lagoon (Touw River Estuary), the Serpentine, which meanders between the Touw River, Island Lake and Rondevlei. This is a favourite venue for waterskiing and attracts enthusiasts from far and wide. Recreation includes hiking, mountain-biking, bird- and whale-watching, hang- and paragliding, horseriding, scenic drives, day tours, angling, boating and other water sports.
By way of accommodation, there is something for everyone - hotels, guest houses, B & B and self-catering establishments.
Excellent viewpoints are Map of Africa with breathtaking scenery of forests, lakes, mountains and coastline and Dolphin's Point, an excellent vantage point from which to study whales and dolphins. Kaaimans River Bridge is a much favoured spot for photography and particularly for taking snaps of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe that travels along the coastline between George and Knysna.
Woodville Big Tree, over 800 years old, creates shaded areas with its massive branches, making it a great picnic spot.
Take a stroll along The boardwalk (also wheelchair-friendly) which is part of the Pied Kingfisher Trail and home to a wide variety of birds.
The winter climate is splendid with sunshine days and temperatures that rarely drop below 8 degrees celcius. The annual rainfall averages around 700mm.
