Knysna Info

About Knysna

Derived from a Khoi word, the name Knysna still has people guessing. Speculations are rife, the most popular one being that the word refers to the famous Knysna Heads. The San people inhabited the Garden Route area from the early Stone Age area. They were displaced in the mid 17th century by the Dutch settlers.

The town itself started in 1804. Sir George Rex arrived in the area and purchased the Melkhoudkraai estate adjacent to the lagoon.  It was widely believed that he was an illegitimate son of King George III.

Gold was discovered in 1876 on the farm of James Hooper, which started off Knysna's own gold rush. Today, one of the original cottages of the Millwood Mines can still be viewed, where avid fans of Knysna's Mining Society have done a wonderful job of up keeping the grounds.

Naval and commercial ships used Knysna as a port for shipping in supplies and goods to this part of the country.  A certain gentleman by the name of Arnt Leonard Thesen moved to Knysna and set up the first trading store.

Knysna was officially founded in 1825, when it was first declared a magistrate, and in 1881, a town.

Today, Knysna has exploded into one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa. With so many things to do and it's history and historical buildings, Knysna makes for a wonderful getaway.

 

Knysna now

Knysna is the ideal base from which to explore the scenic Garden Route. It caters for everyone - from the thrill seekers to the most relaxed and laid back.

It is primarily built on the northern shore of the big warm water lagoon, which opens to the ocean after passing through the Knysna Heads. This rock formation has become infamous due to the unfortunate deaths of many a fisherman when passing through their unpredictable and often treacherous waters.

The area surrounding Knysna is covered by dense temperate rainforests for as much as 20km, where-after it changes to fynbos higher up in the Outeniqua Mountains.

Retirees and tourists alike find Knysna a very popular destination, even more so among the British and other former expats due to the year round warm climate.  Recently golfers have made Knysna their own, and Knysna also boasts some world class golf courses. It is also a favorite haunt of artists, hippies and some wonderful restaurateurs.

Knysna is also famous for its renowned Knysna forest elephants as well as the unforgettable Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam railway.