About Hermanus

Hermanus, on the shores of Walker Bay about 120km from Cape Town, is internationally known as one of the best land-based whale-watching sites in the world, thanks to southern right whales that come close to shore between June and December to calve in the bay's sheltered waters. The town's cliff path, a walking route laid out along the coastline in the early twentieth century, remains the main vantage point for spotting whales, and Hermanus has employed a "whale crier" who blows a kelp horn to announce sightings since the 1990s. Originally a fishing village named Hermanuspietersfontein, the town grew around its Old Harbour, now a museum, and has since become a centre for wine tourism, with the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley just inland producing some of South Africa's most acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fynbos-covered mountains rise directly behind the town, and the annual Hermanus Whale Festival remains one of the Western Cape's largest environmental arts festivals.

Hermanus's spring calendar leans on recurring markets and sport this stretch. The AKWAABA Hermanus Saturday Market keeps weekends busy along Marine Drive, while runners gather for the Benguela Cove Park Run most Saturdays. Hermanus Cricket Club answers with its own weekly draw, the Hermanus Country Friday Night Market (Hermanus), and Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate keeps Sundays relaxed with The Sandbar Brunch. The same estate teaches new steps every Thursday with Salsa Dance Classes Every Thursday.