One of Knysna’s most attractive features is the 17-kilometer-long Knysna Lagoon, protected from the sea by two sandstone cliffs, the Knysna Heads.

George Rex Drive provides access to Leisure Island on the eastern Head, from where there are superb views. On the western Head, which is accessible via a free ferry service, is the Featherbed Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site. Here visitors can join a 2,5-kilometer-long guided nature walk, the Bushbuck Trail.

The lagoon itself is an ideal venue for a great variety of water-sports. Cabin cruisers may be hired from Lightleys, while daily sightseeing cruises and sunset trips to the Heads are offered by Knysna Ferries and the John Benn, a large luxury pleasure cruiser.

Furniture, boat building and oysters cultivated in the lagoon are Knysna’s major industries.