Knysna (the K is silent — "Nyss-na") is one of the most popular stops on the Garden Route, draped around a lagoon that is guarded at its mouth by two dramatic sandstone cliffs called The Heads. The views from the Eastern Head are spectacular, and the lagoon itself — with its oyster farms and houseboats — is the town's defining feature.
Knysna is best known for two things: its beer and its oysters. Mitchell's Brewery, one of South Africa's oldest craft breweries, is based here, and the Knysna Oyster Company runs boat tours of the lagoon with oyster tasting. The two go together reasonably well. The Old Gaol complex on Queen Street houses both the Millwood House Museum (Knysna's social history) and an angling museum, and there are several good craft centres and galleries in town.
The surrounding forests — the Knysna Forest, a remnant of the great coastal forests that once covered this coast — are worth exploring. A small population of forest elephants still lives in the forest (sightings are rare, but the forest itself is beautiful). The Featherbed Nature Reserve on the Western Head is a private reserve accessible only by ferry and guided tour. Noetzie, a small coastal community with castle-shaped holiday homes, and Brenton-on-Sea beach to the southwest offer easy excursions with good swimming and reliable surf.