Hermanus is the heart of the popular South African Whale Route, and the town's 12-km-long Cliff Path offers one of the best shore-based whale-watching spots in the world. This spectacular destination is the first stop on your South African holiday. The Southern Right Whales arrive in Walker Bay in June or July each year to calve and remain until November.
Visitors are kept up to date about the latest whale sightings by the town's Whale Crier, the only one of his kind in the world. The coastline around Hermanus is characterised by numerous sheltered coves and bays, which are ideal for swimming and sunbathing. Grotto Beach, at the town's eastern end, features a magnificent sandy beach.
On the hills above the town, visitors can enjoy walking among the fynbos flora in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, which has 40 km of hiking trails. Not to be missed, is a visit to the craft market and the old stone harbour with its interesting museum, where you can listen to whale sounds transmitted from a sonar buoy offshore.
Windsurfing in Hermanus
Windsurfer heaven in Hermanus: tack into a long reach on the choppy waters of Maanskyn Baai in the Klein Rivervlei near Hermanus in the shadow of the majestic Klein River Mountains. Fed by the river, the water is usually a few degrees warmer than the sea, but don't let the comfort lull you. Watch out for the shallow reef in front of the spookhuis on the other side of the lagoon - it has been known to claim fins.
Hermanus Lagoon
Its real name is the Kleinrivier Lagoon, a partial tidal estuary when winter flood waters break through the sand bar at the mouth (the local name for the Hermanus Lagoon is Stofvlei - 'dust vlei'). But for sailing, the main action is in summer at the Hermanus Yacht Club, a few kilometres east of town. The club has everything from canoes through cats to keelboats, as well as various categories of racing.
There is fun sailing and racing most weekends from September to April. Members and non-members can use the grassed campsite, which has three cabins if you prefer sleeping indoors. It's pretty social after a day's sailing, so don't forget your braai goodies.
The Whale Watching Route of the Cape offers spectacular coastal scenery, but the stars of this self-drive route from Cape Town are the south...