The Heads are the two dramatic sandstone promontories that guard the entrance to Knysna Lagoon, one of the defining images of the Garden Route. The Eastern Head is accessible by road and has a viewpoint at the top that gives a vertiginous perspective over the narrow channel where the lagoon meets the ocean. In good weather you can watch the swell crashing against the cliffs and the oyster boats navigating the gap.
The Western Head is occupied by the Featherbed Nature Reserve and is accessible only by ferry. From the Eastern Head viewpoint, the full extent of the lagoon stretches out behind you — a 17-square-kilometre tidal expanse that reaches back to Knysna town and beyond. The light in the late afternoon is particularly good, with the sandstone turning gold and the ocean deepening to navy blue.