Hermanus, Hermanus & Route 62, South Africa

The cosmopolitan fishing town and resort of Hermanus is the whale watching capital of the world and offers year round charm and stunning coastal scenery. Secluded sandy beaches are backed by velvety mountains covered with exceptional fynbos vegetation. The wild flowers are particularly enchanting and walking trails follow the coast, ideal for whale-watching, or take you into the mountains. The more adventurous can enjoy whale-watching boat cruises and shark diving. We can pre-book whale watching and shark diving tours in Hermanus if you wish.

More relaxing pursuits would be browsing through numerous arts and craft shops or enjoying the panoramic views of Walker Bay whilst dining alfresco. The Fernkloof Nature Reserve on the mountains behind Hermanus has some superb fynbos vegetation including proteas & ericas and peak flowering time is September to October. Visit the Botanical centre and take one of the many walking trails.

In Hermanus you can choose between luxury boutique lodges (such as Schulphoek Lodge or Mosaic Farm) or one of the five star hotels such as Birkenhead House or The Marine.

Hermanus Highlights:
• Whale watching from the coastal path
• Fernkloof Nature Reserve
• Enjoy wine-tasting at the wine estates in the Hemel en Aarde valley
• Whale watching boat cruises
• Sunset boat cruises
• Relax on one of the many beaches, ideal for swimming and body surfing
• Shops, art galleries and restaurants

Gansbaai
As the bay is protected from the devastating south-easterly winds, Gansbaai is a natural harbour for fisherman. Close to Gansbaai are the pristine Dyer and Geyser islands - both nature reserves can be visited on scenic boat cruises. Geyser Island hosts a colony of more than 30,000 Cape fur seals and Dyer Island is primarily a bird sanctuary with penguins, cormorants and other species.

Gansbaai has also established itself as the Great White Shark capital of the world and various great white shark viewing/diving operations are active here.  Most shark sightings take place near Dyer Island and the so-called ‘shark alley’ - the channel between the two islands.

The well-known Grootbos Nature Reserve and Blue Gum Country Estate lie between Stanford and Gansbaai.

Travel to Hermanus
Hermanus lies an easy 1½ hour drive from Cape Town, less if you are coming from the Cape Winelands. You can also take the longer scenic coastal route to try your luck at whale spotting before you even get to Hermanus.

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