Property for sale on the Garden Route
 Nestled between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean is the Garden Route, a section of the N2 motorway that connects Port Elizabeth to Cape Town on South Africa’s south coast. Strictly-speaking, the Garden Route is considered to start at Storms River in the Eastern Cape and finish at Heidelberg in the Western Cape and cover some of South Africa’s most arresting natural scenery along the way.
A mecca for tourism, golfing, arts and crafts, outdoor pursuits and nature lovers, this rather idyllic and peaceful part of the world also boasts a very mild oceanic climate and plenty of space, making it highly desirable as a place to relocate to or purchase real estate.
Home to ancient rainforests, miles of golden beaches, dramatic gorges, lagoons, rivers , secret bays and inlets, the Garden Route links up some of South Africa’s most desirable spots to live in, holiday at or retire to. Major towns include Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay but there are also plenty of hidden gems lying just off the beaten track, including the exquisitely beautiful Nature’s Valley, Tsitsikamma Marine National Park and ostrich capital, Oudtshoorn, also famous for the Cango Caves.
Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are traditionally considered to be playgrounds for the rich and famous, and the recent addition of several luxury hotels and resorts have done nothing to dispel this reputation.
With a population reaching just over 190,000 and the only centre with an airport, George is considered to be the administrative and commercial hub of the region, which is otherwise well-served by the regularly maintained N2 tollroad.
Employment opportunities are largely confined to tourism, conservation and construction, as well as wholesale & retail trade and manufacturing. However, in recent years, additional opportunities have opened up in the form of agriculture, especially wine farming and jobs in the energy sector, particularly in Mossel Bay where natural gas deposits were discovered some years back.
Property-wise, many regions along the Garden Route have undergone rapid growth due to increased demand for extra housing as well as interest from international quarters, especially with regard to real estate investment. Corporate rentals are also a growing force in the market, helping to keep prices buoyant.
Real estate along the Garden Route tends to vary in terms of price and availability, size, position, as well as the type of lifestyle or purpose of the property being sought. On the whole though, potential buyers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Garden Route properties, and can easily find single and double-storey conventional family homes, character-filled cottages, seaside flats, cluster home developments and well as farmhouses, seaside or riverfront mansions and forest chalets. Retirement villages and gated communities are also on the rise, as are unusual properties designed to attract wedding parties or upmarket tourists.
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