Mossel Bay★★
Mossel Bay marks the official start of the Garden Route (coming from the west). Here, in 1488, the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias landed — marking the beginning of the European discovery of South Africa. The Dias Museum at the harbor tells the story and displays a replica of his caravel.
Highlights
- Post Office Tree: The oldest "postbox" in South Africa — a Milkwood tree where sailors left messages in a boot since the 15th century. Today, you can drop postcards here that actually get delivered.
- Santos Beach: One of the few truly warm bathing beaches on the Garden Route (Indian Ocean, 20–22°C in summer). Palms, white sand, tidal pools.
- Shark Cage Diving: Also possible here, cheaper than in Gansbaai. White Shark Africa from 1,800 ZAR.
- Point of Human Origins: Archaeological finds in the Pinnacle Point Cave show that humans lived here 164,000 years ago — the oldest evidence of shellfish use and ochre as paint.
