Wilderness is a quiet beach village on the Garden Route that has quietly kept out of the way of the bigger towns on either side. It sits where the Touw River and a string of freshwater lakes meet the Indian Ocean, about twelve kilometres east of George, at the foot of the forested Outeniqua mountains. The coastline here is a mixture of long sandy beach, tidal lagoon, lake and indigenous forest, and it forms part of the Garden Route National Park, so the development is limited and the birdlife is rich. Kingfishers, fish eagles and herons are common around the lakes, and the Knysna loerie, a bright green forest bird with a crimson flash in its wings, can be spotted in the trees.
In the early twentieth century a railway line, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, ran along the coast and across the dramatic Kaaimans River bridge, and the old rail line is still a feature of the landscape. The Map of Africa viewpoint, on the hill above the village, takes its name from the shape of the Touw River as it winds through the lowlands, and gives a sweeping view over the lakes. Paragliders launch from the ridge in good conditions and drift over the beach, a spectacular sight.
The ride along the N2 here is not twisty, but it is superb in its way. Between George and Knysna the road runs along the coast, then climbs through forest and cuts across the deep, wooded gorges of the Kaaimans and Touw rivers. The surface is good, the curves long and easy, and the views are consistently lovely. Traffic can be heavy, with trucks and holiday cars, and speed enforcement is active. A more adventurous option is the Seven Passes road, the old route from George to Knysna, which winds through forest and across old stone bridges, with several gravel patches.
George, twelve kilometres west, has full services, including fuel and a good selection of shops, and Wilderness has a handful of fuel and food options too. The weather can be changeable, with sea mist in the morning and sudden showers, and a warm, humid wind off the Indian Ocean. Between July and November, southern right whales come into the bays to calve, and you can watch them from the cliffs.