Paddling near Knysna, Western Cape

Knysna sits on the Garden Route in the Western Cape, anchored by one of the largest tidal lagoons on South Africa's southern coast — roughly 20 km² of water connecting the Knysna River to the Indian Ocean through the dramatic Knysna Heads. The lagoon, its river tributaries, and the canal network around Thesen Island make this one of the most varied flatwater paddling destinations on the Garden Route, drawing kayakers, canoeists, and SUP paddlers year-round.