Day Trip to Spitzkop
This day trip is all about the scenery. It’s literally off the beaten track, and you have the option of driving over the rugged Prince Alfred Pass, where you’ll be on gravel roads for most of the way.
It would be best to take your own refreshments as there are no real facilities along the route. To make up for this, the view site at Spitzkop and the picnic site at the Valley of Ferns are both great places to stop for lunch.
Your camera must be on standby at all times to capture the quick changes of scenery
The road is gravel, but is quite passable by car. We would not advise this trip if it is raining because you can’t see the views and the narrow roads could become slippery. Trailers cannot do the Prince Alfred Pass, nor go up to the Spitzkop view site. If you do everything on this Day Trip, excluding the Prince Alfred Pass, you will travel 105 kms.The trip over the Prince Alfred Pass to De Vlug, Avontuur and Uniondale is an extra 90 kms return.
Directions: From Plettenberg Bay, drive on the N2 towards Port Elizabeth. Cross over the Bitou River and just after the bridge turn left onto the R340, signposted to Wittedrift. Continue on this road for 30.9 kms when you will come to a fork with the R339 to Knysna.
You will first pass the very scenic farming area of Uplands.
Directions: You will reach the junction with the R339 to Knysna. At this point, if you have the time, you could continue on the R340 towards Avontuur and drive the Prince Alfred Pass to Uniondale – a real experience!
For full details, see the Side Trip to Prince Alfred Pass.
If you did the Pass, it would probably take you an extra one and a half hours, but the scenery is amazing. After doing the pass, you would have to return to this point.
If you are not doing the Prince Alfred Pass, take the R339 to Knysna at the junction with the R340.
After 7 kms you should see the Valley of Ferns picnic spot. Besides being a pretty place to have a snack, have a look at the vegetation around you and see why it is called the Valley of Ferns!
About 300m further along, you will see the entrance to the Spitzkop Viewpoint. It is a few kms of a narrow and bumpy road to the top, but you will be rewarded in seeing from Plett to Knysna – an amazing vista in an awesome setting.
After another 8 kms you will be at the Diepwalle Forest (on your left) where there is the Elephant Walk, should you feel like doing a good trail.
Just under 2 kms further on is the parking for the King Edward VII Big Tree. Take the short walk and see one of Knysna forest’s biggest trees.
Another 16 kms, and you will re-join the N2 just outside Knysna. If you had the time, you could cross over the N2 and take the road to Noetzie.
Both magical and off the beaten track, Noetzie, has a half dozen stone castles dating from the 1930s located next to the Noetzie River mouth. Situated on a beautiful unspoilt beach, the steep walk down is well worth the effort.
If you have not seen the beach and castles, it is really worthwhile doing the 5km detour.
Directions: Return to Plettenberg Bay on the N2.
Side Trip to the Prince Alfred Pass
The drive to Uniondale over the Prince Alfred Pass covers amazing scenery. It will take about 1.5 hours there and back. Stop at the quaint little village of Avontuur and visit Angie’s G Spot or the little roadside cafe for a range of handmade goodies from the past, a cup of tea and cake. See the old house used by Thomas Baine when he was building the Pass.
Lookout for the Trout Farm deep in the Valley. A rust coloured river meanders over white stones and is a favourite spot for the local horses.
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| More info on the town of Plettenberg Bay | More info on the Garden Route area |
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