Description of the attraction
Tsitsikamma National Park forms the centerpiece of the scenic Garden Route (Garden Route) of the South African coast. The name "Tsitsikamma" is translated as "a place where there is a lot of water", which is true, as the park includes 80 km of rocky coastline with seascapes and 5 km of coastal ocean.
About 30% of the park's territory is dense green forests with river gorges leading to the sea, impressive waterfalls and deep ravines. The water in the rivers has a characteristic dark brown color, reminiscent of the color of Coca-Cola, due to the high content of tannin extracted from the surrounding vegetation.
The river valleys are painted in all sorts of rainbow colors, thanks to the exuberant flowering of local endemics. Here you can find a wide variety of forest and sea birds, and animals such as the African black sandpiper (magpie), cormorant, dominican gull, emerald cuckoo, olive woodpecker, leopard, weasel, ostrich, sea otter, fur seal, dolphins, killer whales and southern whale.
In 1964, Tsitsikamma National Park became South Africa's first marine national park. Its main task is to protect the inhabitants of two ecosystems: inhabitants of rocky shores, coastal reefs, deep-sea fish and inhabitants of coastal forests and river valleys. It houses one of the world's largest laboratories for basic research on endangered fish species.
There are many hiking trails of various lengths through the park for hiking, the most famous of which is the Otter Trail. The coastal reefs attract diving and surfing enthusiasts with their beauty. Next to the park is the Bloukrans Bridge, which is the world's highest bungee jump (216 meters). Also in the park there are two recreation centers - "Storms River" at the mouth of the river and "Natures Valley" in the valley. Here you can visit souvenir shops and restaurants.
