When the weather closes in during winter, Thesen Island, usually so open to the ocean, sky and mainland, becomes its own little world on the water. Shrouded in clouds and mist, you might imagine this to be a gloomy picture, but it’s not; it’s atmospheric.
South Africans are not typically creatures of winter, being accustomed, as we are, to sunshine for most of the year, but here on the Garden Route, it can’t be denied that the colder months hold a special place in our heart. While you might not be lying on the sun deck or swimming at the beach during the heart of winter, you have access to a very different side of Knysna; a slower, perhaps more intimate side.
Here are five of the best things to do in Knysna when the weather turns.
1. Storm-Watch and Beachcomb
Dating back to its roots as a power station for a timber mill, our hotel – with its strong industrial bones – was built to withstand the elements. We’ve added our own flair to the structure, of course, and one of the best parts of your winter stay are our large windows that give guests views of the island in all directions. These views are particularly wonderful when a strom rolls in off the sea and Knysna Lagoon. Settle into your suite with something warm in hand and revel in your cosy setup as the sky draws in overhead like a grey curtain.
When the storm passes, go outside and walk the shorelines. Rough weather reveals the coast’s secrets: shells brought up from the sea floor, driftwood coughed up onto the beach, fragments of sea glass worn soft by years of movement between the rocks. Cormorants and kelp gulls work the tideline methodically, and the air after rain has that clean, weighted quality that makes even a short walk feel restorative and full of the richness of the coast!
2. Order Doretta’s Seafood Curry at the Island Café
One of the best things to do in Knysna on a cold evening is to eat seafood as close to its source as possible, and we think that the Island Café does this better than anywhere else on Thesen Island.
There are many tasty options on our menu, but first-time visitors simply must try Doretta’s Seafood Curry; fresh seasonal seafood simmered low and slow in a tomato curry built on exotic spices that warm without overwhelming, served on steamed coconut rice with cucumber, yoghurt and pickled coconut to balance the heat.
3. Read Something That Draws You Closer to the Water
A cold afternoon, a cosy room, and a book that belongs to the sea is one of the best things to do in Knysna when the world outside has gone grey.
The obvious choice from this corner of the world is Dalene Matthee’s Kringe in ‘n Bos, a novel so rooted in the forests and communities of Knysna that reading it here feels like hearing a story told in its original language, especially if you can hear the pattering of rain outside.
Some more book recommendations with strong maritime ties:
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
Set in the marshlands of North Carolina, this is the story of Kya Clark, a girl abandoned by her family and raised alone by the tidal flats, who grows into a woman as wild and self-sufficient as the wetlands she calls home. Part coming-of-age story, part murder mystery, it is a novel about isolation, survival, and the way nature both shapes and shelters the people who pay attention to it.
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Following a blind French girl and a German orphan boy whose lives converge in the coastal town of Saint-Malo during the Second World War, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is as much about the invisible forces that connect people as it is about the devastation that pulls them apart. Doerr writes with extraordinary precision about light, sound, and the sea, making it one of the most sensory war novels ever written.
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
The obsessive Captain Ahab leads his crew aboard the whaling ship Pequod on a doomed hunt for the great white whale that took his leg, driving everyone around him towards ruin in pursuit of something that cannot be reasoned with or conquered. Published in 1851, it is equal parts seafaring adventure and philosophical meditation on obsession, fate, and the vast indifference of the ocean.
Bring one of these stories along with you for your stay at The Turbine and feel how your setting enriches each plot!
4. Book a Hot Stone Massage at The Turbine Spa
Cold weather has a way of settling into the body whether you invite it to or not, and a hot stone massage is the most enjoyable way we can think of expelling it!
Happily, our award-winning on-site spa offers this treatment, along with a host of other signature massages for you to try.
If you’re feeling adventurous, follow it up with the mosaic-tiled Rasul steam session, which nobody expects to find inside a converted power station – a fun little discovery that doubles as a way to stay warm.
5. Stay In and Let the Island Come to You
Not every activity needs to be an activity. Sometimes the best version of a coastal escape is room service without guilt, a proper bed, and nothing on the agenda. The off-season at The Turbine brings better rates and a quieter island that feels more secluded and genuinely restful in a way the summer months rarely allow.
This is the season to bring someone you’ve been meaning to spend unhurried time with, close the door on everything waiting at home, and actually switch off rather than simply change location. Watch the rain move across the lagoon, order breakfast when you feel like it, and let your body settle into deep rest. Finding the best things to do in Knysna sometimes means staying exactly where you are.
Stay With Us
If the idea of riding out a cold front from inside a refurbished power station appeals to you, the Turbine Hotel & Spa is ready and waiting. As one of the finest 5-star stays on Thesen Island, we sit within easy reach of everything mentioned above, and offer plenty of our own diversions besides!
If you’d like a little help planning your visit, our reception team is happy to oblige. You can book directly through our online platform here, or get in touch with us the old-fashioned way at book@turbinehotel.co.za.