Knysna has always been the gem of the Garden Route. The town nestles between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, with the world renowned forests encircling it like a protective mantle. The award-winning 21ha estuary is protected from the sea by the monolithic sandstone "Heads" - silent, centuries old sentinels of the rich history of this unique part of paradise on earth. The municipal area covers a total of 1059 kmē that stretches from Swartvlei in Sedgefield in the west to Brackenhill in the east. It includes Sedgefield, Karatara, Buffalo Bay, Rheenendal, Brenton and Noetzie. Knysna is in many ways a microcosm of South Africa: beautiful, vibrant and diverse.