Hermanus holidays

If you’re hoping to see whales on your Hermanus holiday, you’ll need to plan your trip between June and December. In whale-watching season, Walker Bay fills with southern right whales – large black whales with white patches on their stomach – as they migrate to these warm waters to breed. Luckily for you, southern right whales are very slow swimmers and feed just below the surface, making them easy to spot. It’s common for the whales to swim near the shore, too, so you can see them from Hermanus’ beaches and cliffs.

For a closer look at the whales and their young, take a boat trip out to the edge of the Marine Reserve. Your guide will usually stay about 50 metres away from the whales – but you’ll often find that these curious creatures swim right up to the boat, keen to investigate their visitors.

Hermanus has several lovely beaches, each with its own personality and attractions. Stretching for 11 miles, Grotto Beach is the largest. Its Blue Flag-awarded sands are backed by rugged mountains, while the Atlantic Ocean sweeps along the shore. Go for a dip in the calm lagoon, or take a stroll along the coastal pathways.

If you’re a keen surfer, catch a wave at Langbaai, Kammabaai or Voelkip Beach. Kammabaai is the most accessible option, with plenty of picnic spots and walking trails to both Grotto Beach and Voelkip Beach. The currents here can be strong, though, so take care if you’re visiting with children.

Onrus Beach is a much safer spot for swimming, and there’s plenty of sandy space for sunbathing. Alternatively, you could make tracks for Breakfast Bay. Sheltered from the winds, this cove is the perfect place for a picnic, while the calm sea offers some great snorkelling opportunities.

If you’d prefer to go hiking, head just outside Hermanus to Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Trails snake for 60 kilometres through the Kleinrivier Mountains, where you’ll be able to see all kinds of flowers and animals, including baboon, mongoose and dassie – a large ostrich-like bird. The reserve is also home to the elusive Cape mountain leopard, but sightings are rare.

There are plenty of adventure activities on offer in Hermanus, too. You can go abseiling, mountain biking and zip-lining, or take to the skies with a paragliding session. Or, for the ultimate adrenaline rush, drive 40 minutes to Gansbaai and sail out to sea, where you can cage-dive with great white sharks.

Away from the beach, there’s plenty more to see. Visit Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary – the only free-roaming primate sanctuary in the world – and see more than 3,500 birds at the world’s biggest free-flight aviary, Birds of Eden. Or you could go for a coastal walk through Robberg Nature Reserve. The trails range from 45-minute strolls to five-hour hikes, so you can choose which option is best for you.

To see whales, you should plan your Hermanus trip between June and December. Weather-wise, though, the best time to visit is from November to April. This is South Africa’s summer, when temperatures in Hermanus hover in the early twenties – but, on clear sunny days, it can be as hot as 26°C.

As you might expect, there’s a coastal breeze here all year round, but December to February is the best time to go surfing. If you want to go cage-diving, you’re most likely to see great white sharks in June, July and August. May to August is the wettest time of year but, even then, it’s dry in Hermanus most days.