Things to do in Tsitsikamma
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tsitsikamma
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer is warmest and busiest, with school holidays filling Storms River Mouth and prices peaking.
Autumn is a sweet spot, warm and calmer with good hiking and better short notice availability.
Winter is cooler, greener and quieter with the best value, and whale season builds from June.
Whale season runs June to November, with southern rights most reliable and dolphins present year round.
Spring brings wildflowers, whales still present and shoulder season prices before the December rush.
What's on
- SA National Parks Week September, exact days vary by year
Free day entry for South African citizens at most parks on specified days; accommodation and activities are never included.
Best things to do in Tsitsikamma
Storms River Mouth Suspension Bridge
Boardwalks through coastal forest to suspension bridges over the Storms River mouth, the signature Tsitsikamma view.
The Big Tree
A giant Outeniqua yellowwood about 800 years old, reached on a short boardwalk loop through indigenous forest.
Nature's Valley Beach
A long, wild sand beach where the Groot River lagoon meets the sea, quiet and backed by forest.
Nature's Valley Lagoon
The calm Groot River lagoon for paddling, canoeing and birdwatching where the open coast is too rough.
Stormsriver Adventures
The Woodcutters Journey drives the old Storms River Pass through indigenous forest in a guided vehicle.
Storms River Bridge
The Paul Sauer Bridge viewpoint over the Storms River gorge, the easiest gorge view without entering the park.
Where to stay in Tsitsikamma
Storms River Mouth, inside the park
suspension bridges, Otter and Waterfall Trails, kayak and lilo
The SANParks camp on the rocky shore, where you wake up at the bridge walk with the sea below.
Nature's Valley, inside the park
quiet, lagoon, beach and Otter Trail finish
The De Vasselot camp on the Groot River, with campsites, forest huts and chalets and no restaurant.
Storms River Village
widest choice, restaurants and activity bases
The gateway village about 10 minutes from the Storms River Mouth gate, with hotels, lodges and backpackers.
Nature's Valley village
quiet west end, lagoon and beach days
A small holiday village beside the De Vasselot section, with a handful of lodges and almost no services.
Think twice about
- Nature's Valley with no food or fuel
The village has one small trading store and no fuel, so arriving without provisions or a near empty tank is a genuine problem.
- N2 and Groot River Pass at night
Single carriageway sections, trucks, stray animals, mist and a steep winding pass make night driving the main road risk here.
- Storms River Mouth rocks and sea
Never swim at the mouth and never turn your back on the sea on the rocks, as waves wash over apparently dry rock.
Best restaurants in Tsitsikamma
Tsitsikamma Restaurant
The camp restaurant above the harbour at Storms River Mouth, the only sit down option inside the park.
De Oude Martha
Hearty South African cooking at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn, the most reliable village dinner.
Marilyn's 60's Diner
A 1950s themed diner with classic cars, burgers, all day breakfasts and milkshakes, fun and cheap.
Blue Rocks Cafe & Grill
Effectively the restaurant of Nature's Valley, with seafood, burgers and pizzas near the beach.
Natures Valley Trading
The village shop, takeaway and pub in one, the only place in Nature's Valley to buy basics.
Fynboshoek Cheese
A small cheese farm near Storms River with farm lunches and tastings built around its own cheeses.
Best bars in Tsitsikamma
Tsitsikamma Microbrewery
A small craft brewery beside the Village Inn pouring its own ales, the village drink pick.
Outdoor things to do in Tsitsikamma
Waterfall Trail
The first Otter Trail section walked as a day hike along the rocky coast to a waterfall and rock pool.
Loerie Trail
A short, steep forest loop to the Agulhas lookout above Storms River Mouth, named for the Knysna turaco.
Blue Duiker Trail
A quiet forest loop behind the rest camp, the best short walk here for forest birds and shade.
Salt River Mouth Trail
A circular coastal and forest walk to the secluded Salt River mouth, tide dependent and wilder in feel.
Otter Trail
The famous five day, 45 km hut to hut coastal hike, booked through SANParks up to a year ahead.
The Dolphin Trail
Two days of guided slackpacking on the Otter coast, with luggage transferred and lodge nights and meals included.
Bloukrans Bungy
A 216 metre bungy from the Bloukrans Bridge arch, with a skywalk option for non jumpers.
Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour
Ten zipline platforms in giant yellowwood trees, about 30 metres above the Plaatbos forest floor.
Best hotels in Tsitsikamma
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp
The SANParks camp on the rocks at Storms River Mouth, from campsites to sea facing oceanettes.
Nature's Valley Rest Camp
The quiet SANParks camp on the Groot River, with campsites, forest huts and a few chalets.
The Fernery Lodge & Chalets
A lodge and chalets above a waterfall gorge, the honest top end in Tsitsikamma, with ocean views.
Misty Mountain Reserve
A plateau lodge above the coast with rooms, cottages and tents, ocean views and its own trails.
Tsitsikamma Village Inn
The village hotel on Darnell Street, the practical mid range base minutes from the park gate.
Storms River Guest Lodge
A good value village bed and breakfast with a pool and mountain views, a short drive from the gate.
Tube 'n Axe Backpackers Lodge
The budget village base, with dorms, cabins and camping and Blackwater Tubing on site.
Lily Pond Country Lodge
An upmarket forest lodge around lily ponds at The Crags, the splurge base for the west end.
Is Tsitsikamma expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZAR 950 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZAR 2,400 a person |
| Splurge | ZAR 5,800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Stormsriver Adventures: a few days ahead
- Otter Trail: months ahead
- The Dolphin Trail: months ahead
- Bloukrans Bungy: a few days ahead
- Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour: a few days ahead
- Untouched Adventures: a few days ahead
- Tsitsikamma Blackwater Tubing: a few days ahead
- AfriCanyon: a few days ahead
- Book SANParks camps as soon as dates are set, and Otter Trail places up to a year ahead through SANParks only.
- Book the Dolphin Trail weeks to months ahead, and bungy, canopy, kayak and tubing trips a few days ahead in season.
Is Tsitsikamma safe?
- South Africa has serious violent crime, including robbery, carjacking and smash and grab attacks on vehicles.
- Never swim at Storms River Mouth, check tides before the Waterfall and Salt River trails, and time Otter river crossings to low tide.
- Keep all food locked away from baboons at Storms River Mouth and never feed any wildlife.
- Emergency numbers are 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone.
Tsitsikamma travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not assume the Otter Trail can be booked on arrival, and do not arrive in Nature's Valley without food.
- Do not leave valuables visible in the car at Storms River Mouth, the Big Tree or trailhead parking.
Getting around Tsitsikamma: public transport and more
- You need a car, as there is no useful visitor public transport between the villages and the park gates.
- Storms River Mouth is about 65 km east of Plettenberg Bay, and Nature's Valley is about 40 km by road from Storms River Mouth.
- Fuel is at the Storms River Bridge rest stop and at The Crags, not in Nature's Valley or inside the camps.
Who Tsitsikamma suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tsitsikamma your trip
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