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Hermanus: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Every winter southern right whales come into Walker Bay to calve and mate, often so close to the rocks that you hear them blow. That made Hermanus one of the best places in the world to watch whales from land. This walk follows the Cliff Path from the old harbour east to the long beach, with whales in view from June to November, peaking in September and October. Two to three hours on an easy path; take binoculars and a windbreaker.

Hermanus

A short history of Hermanus

Hermanus is named after Hermanus Pieters, a Dutch teacher who in the mid-19th century used to bring his flocks to a spring near the shore. The settlement was first called Hermanuspietersfontein, and in 1902 the name was shortened. At first it was a fishing village, and boats and huts from that time have been preserved in the old harbour. From June to November southern right whales come to calve in the bay, and for years the town has had a 'whale crier' who blows a horn when whales appear.

The ten best sights in Hermanus

  1. Old Harbour Museum
    1
    Old Harbour Museum

    Old wooden fishing boats on the slipway and a small museum above the water

  2. Photographic Museum
    2
    Photographic Museum

    Old photos of the fishing village, in a house on Market Square

  3. Danger Point Lighthouse
    3
    Danger Point Lighthouse

    Lighthouse on the point where HMS Birkenhead sank; climb it when it is open

  4. Klipgat Cave
    4
    Klipgat Cave

    A sea cave on the De Kelders cliffs; steep steps down

  5. Gearing's Point
    5
    Gearing's Point

    The classic spot to watch whales from land, June to November

  6. Cliff Path
    6
    Cliff Path

    Walk any stretch of it; benches every few hundred metres face the bay

  7. Fernkloof Nature Reserve
    7
    Fernkloof Nature Reserve

    Fynbos trails above town; the lower loops are easy

  8. Grotto Beach
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    Grotto Beach

    A long white beach for walking; swim only where lifeguards are

  9. Fick's Pool
    9
    Fick's Pool

    Tidal pool in the rocks below the Cliff Path; calm sea swimming

  10. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
    10
    Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

    Wine farms five minutes from town; Pinot Noir is the grape to try

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Hermanus →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Hermanus:

Whales from the cliff

Free walking tours in Hermanus

Whales from the cliff

Every winter southern right whales come into Walker Bay to calve and mate, often so close to the rocks that you hear them blow. That made Hermanus one of the best places in the world to watch whales from land. This walk follows the Cliff Path from the old harbour east to the long beach, with whales in view from June to November, peaking in September and October. Two to three hours on an easy path; take binoculars and a windbreaker.

  1. Old Harbour Museum · The town grew around a spring found in the 1830s by Hermanus Pieters, a teacher who grazed sheep here. It was first called Hermanuspietersfontein, and the name was shortened to Hermanus in 1902.
  2. Gearing's Point · In season a whale crier walks the town and blows a horn made of kelp in a code that tells people where the whales are. Hermanus claims him as the only whale crier in the world.
  3. Bientang's Cave · The cave is named after Bientang, a Khoi woman who is said to have lived in it in the 19th century, among the last of the strandlopers who lived off the shore. Today it holds a restaurant right on the rocks.
  4. Cliff Path · The path runs about 12 km along the shore, from the New Harbour to the mouth of the Klein River lagoon. Southern right whales can be over 15 metres long, and their name comes from whalers, who saw them as the 'right' whale to hunt because it floated when killed.
  5. Fernkloof Nature Reserve · More than a thousand plant species have been recorded in this reserve in the hills behind town, one of the richest patches of fynbos on the coast.
  6. Grotto Beach · The beach runs for kilometres east to the Klein River mouth, where a lagoon forms behind the sand. The river mouth opens and closes with the seasons, and when it is closed the lagoon fills up and floods the reeds.

Heaven and Earth

Behind Hermanus a narrow valley runs inland, called Hemel-en-Aarde, Heaven and Earth. For decades it was a quiet farming valley, and from the 1970s winemakers found that the cool sea air suited Burgundy's grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This drive goes up the valley and across to the village of Stanford, returning along the coast. Plan a half day; tasting rooms close in the late afternoon, and someone has to stay sober for the road.

  1. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley · From 1817 the valley held a leper hospital run by Moravian missionaries. It operated until 1845, when the patients were moved to Robben Island.
  2. Hamilton Russell Vineyards · Tim Hamilton Russell bought land here in 1975, when no one grew wine grapes in the valley. The estate still makes only two wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay.
  3. Bouchard Finlayson · The estate began in 1989 as a partnership between the winemaker Peter Finlayson and Paul Bouchard, from an old Burgundy wine family. Their aim was Burgundian wine at the southern tip of Africa.
  4. Stanford · The village stands on the farm of Robert Stanford, who in 1849 agreed to sell supplies to a British ship carrying convicts that the Cape colonists refused to let land. He was boycotted and ruined, and the village that took his name was laid out on his land in 1857.
  5. Birkenhead Brewery · The brewery is named after HMS Birkenhead, the troopship wrecked off Danger Point in 1852. The soldiers stood in ranks on deck while the women and children were put in the boats, and the 'Birkenhead drill' gave English the phrase 'women and children first'.
  6. Walker Bay Nature Reserve · The reserve protects the dunes and limestone cliffs on the far side of the lagoon. From its shore you look back across the whole of Walker Bay to Hermanus.

Sharks, shipwrecks and penguins

East and west of Hermanus the coast gets wilder. To the west a road clings to the mountains above the sea to the penguins of Betty's Bay; to the east lie the cliffs of De Kelders and the fishing town of Gansbaai, known for its great white sharks. This route can be split into two half-days, one in each direction. The sea here is cold and rough; check the wind before booking any boat.

  1. Stony Point Penguin Colony · African penguins first settled on this point in the early 1980s, on the site of an old whaling station whose remains are still on the rocks. It is one of only a few mainland colonies of the species.
  2. Harold Porter Botanical Garden · Harold Porter, a businessman who helped develop Betty's Bay, left this land to the National Botanic Gardens. The garden runs from the coast up into the mountain kloofs, and the Disa Kloof path ends at a waterfall.
  3. De Kelders · De Kelders means 'the cellars', after the caves that the sea has cut into its limestone cliffs. The cliffs are high above deep water, so whales come in very close here as well.
  4. Klipgat Cave · Excavations in the cave found tools and remains of people who lived here in the Middle Stone Age, tens of thousands of years ago, and later traces of Khoi herders who kept sheep.
  5. Gansbaai · The channel between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock off Gansbaai, full of Cape fur seals, is known as Shark Alley. Since about 2017 great whites have become much rarer here, after a pair of orcas began hunting them.
  6. Danger Point Lighthouse · HMS Birkenhead hit a rock off this point in 1852 and broke up within half an hour; most of the soldiers on board drowned. The lighthouse was built here in 1895.
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Getting to Hermanus and getting around

  • New Harbour · Whale-watching boats and fishing boats leave from here; book the boat a day ahead in season
  • Hermanus Minibus Station · Shared minibus taxis, the cheap local transport, leave from this rank; ask for your route on the spot

Cheap eats in Hermanus

Hermanus eats from Walker Bay: hake and chips by the harbour, calamari, and the local crayfish when it is in season. Bakeries and cafés along the main streets do breakfasts and pies, and the Saturday market adds cheese, biltong and baking. A quick meal costs roughly R80-180.

  • Vrystaat Biltong · Biltong and droëwors by weight; a 100 g bag about R50-80
  • Daan's Bakery · Pies and rusks from a local bakery; a pie about R30-50
  • Oskars Cafe & Bakery · Bakery café on High Street; coffee and cake about R70-110
  • Mikro Coffee Co · Good coffee before the cliff path; about R30-45
  • Groves Café · Café on Market Square; a light lunch about R90-140
  • Red Chilli Pizza & Deli · Pizza to take away; about R90-150 a pizza

Museums in Hermanus

  • Old Harbour Museum · Boats on the slipway and the fishing story; half an hour
  • Photographic Museum · Old photographs of the village; part of the Old Harbour Museum
  • Church of St Peter · Small stone church in the town centre
  • Klipgat Cave · Archaeology in a sea cave; wear proper shoes
  • Danger Point Lighthouse · The Birkenhead story told where it happened

Nature and day trips near Hermanus

  • Fernkloof Nature Reserve · Free fynbos trails; the visitor centre has maps
  • Cliff Path · 12 km of shore path; walk any section and turn back
  • Walker Bay Nature Reserve · Dunes, limestone and empty beach; bring water
  • Harold Porter Botanical Garden · Fynbos and a waterfall walk in Betty's Bay
  • Grotto Beach · Long beach walks to the lagoon

Things to do in Hermanus with kids

  • Stony Point Penguin Colony · Penguins a few metres from the boardwalk
  • Fick's Pool · Tidal pool for a safe sea swim
  • Gearing's Point · Whales from the rocks in season; free
  • Onrus Beach · Small sheltered beach and lagoon in Onrus
  • Old Harbour Market · Stalls and street music above the harbour

Where to eat in Hermanus

  • Bientang's Cave · Seafood in a cave on the rocks; book for lunch in whale season
  • Burgundy · Dining in an old stone house by the harbour
  • Fisherman's Cottage · Small, cosy, with fish on the menu
  • Pear Tree Bistro · Bistro by the market square
  • Rossi's Italian Restaurant · Pizza and pasta, an easy family dinner
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Frequently asked questions about Hermanus

What is there to see in Hermanus?

The top sights in Hermanus are Old Harbour Museum, Photographic Museum and Danger Point Lighthouse. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Hermanus?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Hermanus without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Hermanus?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Hermanus, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Whales from the cliff.

How do you get to Hermanus and get around?

The main ways are New Harbour and Hermanus Minibus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Hermanus, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Hermanus that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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