Towns and suburbs

Wilderness

Wilderness is a coastal town on the Garden Route in the Western Cape, located between George and Sedgefield. The area is known for its beaches, lagoons, lakes and early settlement history linked to forestry, transport routes and coastal development.

Wilderness is situated on the southern coast of the Western Cape along the Garden Route. It lies between George to the west and Sedgefield to the east. The town is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains to the north. Wilderness is shaped by a network of rivers, lakes and wetlands, including the Touws River system, and is accessed primarily via the N2 highway running through the area.

History of Wilderness

There is evidence that shows early humans inhabited the coastal plains in the Cape. Their descendants became the hunter-gatherers known as the San or Bushmen. The Khoikhoi people also lived in the area; these were the people whom Bartolomeu Dias mentioned in his journal when they landed at the Cape in 1488.

European Settlers

About 100 years later, some settlers made their way to the area. This was problematic as the deep gorges of the Kaaimans and the Touws River were practically impassable to ox wagons. The area was easier to settle once a road had been built to Knysna in the late 1860s

The road is known as the Seven Passes route. Wilderness was established when George Bennett bought a piece of land at the mouth of the Touws River in 1877. He called it The Wilderness because his wife-to-be said she would marry him on the condition that he took her to live in the wilderness. After his untimely death, his wife returned to England and occasionally rented the property out. She sold the property in the late 1800s.

With the opening of the railway line between George and Knysna in 1928, this became the only stop between the two towns, making it easier for tourists to visit.

Holiday resort

After the Boer War, a syndicate bought the area, and the farmhouse was run as a guest house and seaside resort, which enjoyed some international acclaim.

The house was later upgraded to become a proper hotel. Roads were laid out, and more houses were built. By 1932, negotiations were underway for an airport to serve travellers to Wilderness, which had been difficult to reach up to then. It was only post WWII that the machinery and adequate finance were available to build better roads. The N2 was opened in 1952.

In the 1980s, the Wilderness National Park was established to protect the area’s natural environment, preventing overdevelopment. This move ensured that the town’s forests, beaches, and lagoons remained intact,

The postcode in Wilderness is 6560

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Browse businesses and places to visit wilderness

 

Things to see and do in Wilderness

  • Wilderness National Park was proclaimed in the 1980s, helping to preserve the environment and the natural beauty of the area. The beach is considered one of the best in the county
  • Wilderness lakes were declared a Ramsar site
  • Wilderness beach
  • Hoekwil pass
  • Hoopla information centre – Duiwe River Rd, Hoekwil
  • Hikes and Trails

Resources

Practical information for the Western Cape, Regulations, permits and helpful tips. See the Colourdots coastal and nature use guide

Useful Numbers

Residents and visitors can find important local contact numbers below, including police, medical services, utilities, and community facilities

  • Emergency Services

  • Police: 044 877 0011
  • Fire: George Brandweer and Nooddienste-044 801 6311
  • Ambulance: 10177

  • Medical

  • Closest hospital; George Hospital-ER-044 874 5122
  • Pharmacy; 044 877 0621

  • Municipal & Utilities

  • Municipality; 044 801 9111
  • Water: 044 801 9262
  • Electricity: 044 801 9222

  • Transport & Roads

  • Traffic Department; 044 878 2400 ( George)
  • Community & Safety
  • SPCA: George 044 878 1990NSRI 087 094 9774
  • 24 hour Poisons Information Helpline of the Western Cape:  0861 555 777.

  • Local Contacts and Community Resources 

  • Post office; 044 877 1257
  • Library: George Library-044 801 9288
  • Tourism; 044 877 0045
  • Wilderness Residents and Ratepayers– admin@wrra.co.za

  • Schools in Wilderness

  • Hoekwil Primary School – 044 850 1079
  • Touwsranten VGK Primary School-044 850 1210

The George municipality includes the areas of  Fremersheim, Glentana, Pascaltdorp, Rheenendal, Uniondale, and Victoria Bay

 

  • Colourdots is an independent regional information resource for the Western Cape.
    Learn more about the project HERE

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