Origins

The name Knysna is a Khoi word but its uncertain as to its exact meaning. It could mean 'place of wood', or it could mean 'fern leaves', but its most probable meaning is 'straight down' - an obvious reference to the Heads. Knysna Heads must be the most striking geological feature on the entire southern African coastline. They flank a deep but potentially treacherous channel through which the sea pours in to flood the wide and breathtakingly beautiful lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River.

The area is the Garden of Eden: home to elephants, the Knysna seashore, the pansy shell, the brilliantly coloured Knysna loerie, a plethora of waterfowl and forest birds, cultivated and wild coastal oysters, dolphins and whales.

Knysna-ites love their festivals (including an annual oyster festival), their town and their beer. They also love the free Bohemian approach to life prevalent among those who have settled here. 'Quteniqua rust' is a slow, but highly contagious disease that affects virtually all inhabitants. The symptoms are always the same: 'What can't be done today might be done tomorrow.'

Climate:
Knysna has a temperate climate making it the ideal all-year holiday destination. Summer temperatures reach highs of 38 deg.c while winter temperatures average 14 deg.c in the daytime.