A few hours' drive from Cape Town or the Wine Region, on the coast, Hermanus is one of the world's prime whale-watching spots. There's nothing between here and the Antarctic, from where migrate between about May and December (though the prime viewing months are August to November). They come to sheltered bays to mate, calve and rear their young, and can be easily seen from cliff-top walks around the area.

Activities available locally include sea-kayaking, canoeing on nearby lagoons, horse-riding, and shark cage diving. However, we'd recommend that you visit Hermanus for its wild and beautiful coastline, land-based whale-watching, and the fynbos flora found here.

Two great places to stay here are The Marine Hotel, in the busy heart of Hermanus itself, and the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, overlooking the ocean south of the town.


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