Quintessentially Afrikaans – that’s Garies. The Nama people named this area “Th’aries” after the couch grass that grew along the banks of the stream and this was later changed to Garies.
Located on the West Coast Way Wild Route
West Coast Way is Your Route To Nature
West Coast Way is your ultimate gateway to experiencing the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Cape West Coast of South Africa. As a premium tourism brand, we offer six uniquely themed trip plans that promise an unforgettable journey: Cape, Culture, Foodie, Tractor, Berg, and Wild.
Discover over 101 incredible things to see and do with West Coast Way:
Savour the delights of wine, craft beer, olives, and Rooibos tea tastings. Indulge in authentic Weskus cuisine and the traditional braaivleis (barbecue). Feel the thrill of swinging into Citrusdal on a zipline or challenge yourself with Cederberg bouldering. Rejuvenate in natural warm pools and embark on serene cruises across lagoons and rivers. Explore the diverse landscapes of nature reserves and a National Park, or embark on exciting game drives. Hone your skills in archery and angling, or amp up the excitement with sandboarding and quad-biking. Enjoy horse riding, immerse yourself in the unique San culture, and experience the vibrant Riel dancing. For water sports enthusiasts, kite- and windsurfing, surfing, and kayaking trips await. Go beach hopping, learn about bees and whales, and delight in birdwatching in a twitcher’s paradise – all within South Africa’s renowned wildflower reserve.
For more information on the best places to visit on the West Coast, road tripping routes, hikes, tours, and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Follow us on on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn @WestCoastWaySA.Garies is located on the West Coast Way Wild Route. Decades ago Garies was simply one long street with a church, houses and a shop or two, three with a smattering of houses on the other side as well. The town was built in 1845 along the bank of a stream called Garies, or Th’aries, hence the guttural-sounding name. The land where the town of Garies was built was given to the Dutch Reformed Church by the owner of a farm called Goedeverwagting (it means ‘good expectations’).
The town is at the foot of the Kamiesberg (mountain) and the valley is hemmed in by rugged rocks and mountains.
Garies is nearly halfway on the road from Cape Town to Namibia. Some might say this means it’s, sort of, in the middle of nowhere.
Garies might be in a semi-desert area but in the second half of the year, the flowers that can be seen are breathtakingly beautiful. Don’t be surprised at numerous foreign accents that you hear wherever you walk over this period of time as people from all over the world flock here for this unusual and rewarding experience.
The Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve is just northwest of Garies and forms part of the Namaqua National Park. Look out for daisies – actually, they are impossible to miss in flower season – and tortoises (singular skilpad, plural skilpaaie) on the dirt road of roughly five kilometres that circles the reserve.
Sophia Guest House has wonderfully decorated rooms with plant names such as Olive Tree, Lavender, Rosemary, Koljander (Coriander) and Vinkel (Fennel) but there’s also an Old Bar section with three separate rooms.
Winter days are still warm, wintry nights can be freezing, and in summer it becomes very, very hot.
Time to head back to Cape Town? Stop at Piketberg, Citrusdal, Clanwilliam, Wupperthal, Vanrhynsdorp and Nieuwoudtville!
Find Garies on the West Coast Way Wild Route.
Open 7 days a week
Distance from Cape Town: 445.8 km
Where: N7
Coordinates: 30.5724° S, 17.9887° E
Contact: +27 (0)27 712 8035/6 | www.experiencenortherncape.com
West Coast Way is Your Route To Nature
West Coast Way is your ultimate gateway to experiencing the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Cape West Coast of South Africa. As a premium tourism brand, we offer six uniquely themed trip plans that promise an unforgettable journey: Cape, Culture, Foodie, Tractor, Berg, and Wild.
Discover over 101 incredible things to see and do with West Coast Way:
Savour the delights of wine, craft beer, olives, and Rooibos tea tastings. Indulge in authentic Weskus cuisine and the traditional braaivleis (barbecue). Feel the thrill of swinging into Citrusdal on a zipline or challenge yourself with Cederberg bouldering. Rejuvenate in natural warm pools and embark on serene cruises across lagoons and rivers. Explore the diverse landscapes of nature reserves and a National Park, or embark on exciting game drives. Hone your skills in archery and angling, or amp up the excitement with sandboarding and quad-biking. Enjoy horse riding, immerse yourself in the unique San culture, and experience the vibrant Riel dancing. For water sports enthusiasts, kite- and windsurfing, surfing, and kayaking trips await. Go beach hopping, learn about bees and whales, and delight in birdwatching in a twitcher’s paradise – all within South Africa’s renowned wildflower reserve.
For more information on the best places to visit on the West Coast, road tripping routes, hikes, tours, and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Follow us on on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn @WestCoastWaySA.