4 Best Hotels in Knysna, The Garden Route and the Little Karoo

This attractive restored 1849 Cape Georgian manor house has lovely views of the lagoon. The airy cottages are set around a lawn sloping down to a jetty. Choose from one- and two-bedroom units, all with sitting rooms, fireplaces, and fully equipped kitchens. There's a pub with a small but tasty menu, and in summer breakfast is served on the verandah overlooking the water. Be sure to ask for a Lagoon Room, as the Garden Rooms don't have views. Knysna is 6½ km (4 miles) away.

This understated bed-and-breakfast is perched on a cliff in the quiet coastal hamlet of Brenton-on-Sea, so there are marvelous ocean views from the suites and spacious public rooms. A steep, twisty path leads to a small beach, but the main beach is some distance away. All the well-equipped accommodations have kitchenettes, and there are also two well-equipped communal kitchens where you can whip up meals and then serve them in the sea-view dining room or on the verandah. Ask for a honeymoon suite—even if you're not on honeymoon—for the roomy showers and tubs.

Immerse yourself in elegance at this gleaming-white country house sitting right on the edge of Knysna Lagoon. Wander around in a spacious suite with uninterrupted views of the water, roam around the landscaped formal gardens with tranquil koi ponds, or stroll down to the private pier with free use of canoes and fishing equipment. Indoors the setting is light and bright, with some lovely antiques.

This guest house on Leisure Island isn't actually on the beach, but the Knysna lagoon is only a hop, skip, and a jump away, and it has that casual beach-house feel that invites many repeat visits. Decorated with light lime-washed pine and wicker furnishings, it has an easy flow from the breakfast room to the sunny pool area. Owner Tim Cuningham will help make arrangements for golf and can provide plenty of advice on other activities, too. Bathrooms don't have tubs, but the generously proportioned shower stalls make up for that.