A long beach 15 kilometres east of George backed by indigenous forest and the Touw River estuary. The beach is part of the Garden Route National Park; the lagoon at the river mouth is a popular paddling spot. More developed than Victoria Bay, with coffee shops and gear rentals in the small village, but the beach itself stays uncrowded for most of the year outside December holidays.
Wilderness Beach
A story
Wilderness is a small town (actually a section of the Garden Route National Park) with a 5-kilometre beach backed by coastal dunes. The Touw River cuts through the dunes to reach the sea here, creating a sheltered lagoon on the river side that is ideal for flatwater kayaking. The beach itself faces open ocean — the surf is wild on southwesterly swells — but the lagoon is calm enough for paddleboards. The hills behind Wilderness are threaded with hiking trails through indigenous forest, including the Pied Kingfisher and Kingfisher trails, both accessible without a permit.