Views Boutique Hotel & Spa

The dining room's wall-to-wall windows make for the greatest lunches and dinners with a view. The bar's distinct under-the-sea feel has been created with turquoise tones (cocktails here are more-ish), and the reading lounge's clutch of soft chairs and natural light make it perfect for settling back with a book. There's a rooftop deck with a heated pool and plenty of cushioned sofas. And, true to its reputation for good concoctions, there's a cocktail deck with the best views around.

The 26 suites, some facing the sea and others the mountain, dunes and town, are beautifully decorated in ocean shades. Sea-facing rooms and suites (these are larger, and feature deep bathtubs) have balconies overlooking all that blue. Rooms with partial sea/dune views are spacious; suites overlooking the forested dune and town (an outlook that's really charming) are similar in size to their sea-facing relatives. Rooms facing the Outeniquas have no balcony, but are lovely nevertheless. There''s also a self-catering unit.

The town of Wilderness is located some five hours by road from Cape Town,making it an ideal first-night stopover for your Garden Route adventure. This lovely area offers a fulsome bounty: marine life, sailing excursions and all manner of water sports, quaint beachside hamlets, indigenous forests (with wild elephants), gourmet farmers' markets – the list goes on. Explore pristine beaches, rivers and protected parks with trails for hiking and biking. Golfers will enjoy the gold-star courses within striking distance.