The Garden Route is an attractive stretch of coastal paradise, stretching from anywhere between Stilbaai and Mossel Bay in the west, to Stormsriver or Port Elizabeth in the east. The typical scenery includes dramatic river-cut gorges, beautiful beaches, rocky headlands and deep tangled forests.  Generally, the Garden Route area includes the towns of Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Stormsriver. Although located inland and not on the actual Garden Route, the Little Karoo and Route 62 are often treated as the same destination, because it is easy to travel back and forth between the two regions.   The Garden Route offers a variety of things to do, apart from the obvious beach holiday options. There's great hiking, with rambles covering rocky coasts, deep forests, pretty fynbos and long sandy beaches. Some of the country's best mountain bike trails wind through the forests, and there are horse trails for tastes and levels of ability. The diving is good, as is the surfing. Tandem skydiving, paragliding, and a range of scenic flights can give alternative views. The Garden Route offers some of the best boat based whale watching in the world, and there are numerous national parks and nature reserves. The area is a paradise for golfers, as there are many top class courses to choose from.  The summers in this area are moderately hot, and it has a high winter rainfall. But any time of the year is good for visiting the area: enjoy a peaceful retreat during the winter months or a bustling holiday destination during the summer.