Hermanus Central, Hermanus

Hermanus Central at a glance

Hermanus is a popular holiday town on the southern coast of the Western Cape. It is world-famous for having fantastic land and boat based whale watching. Its scenic beauty, mild climate, outdoor activities, rich floral kingdom, and its close proximity to Cape Town make it the ideal base from which to explore the Cape Overberg. Experience the charm of this fishing village for yourself.

Hermanus, originally called Hermanuspietersfontein, is famous for its whale industry. One can spot Southern Right Whales during winter and mid spring from the winding cliff paths, or for the more adventurous, by boat. Hermanus hosts an annual whale festival at the end of September to celebrate the returning of the whales to the bay during mating season. The festival is characterised by food and craft stalls, environmental presentations, and drama productions. Hermanus also has the world's only whale crier who walks the streets sounding his kelp horn to alert residents of whales in the bay.

Hermanus is in the Cape Floristic Region and thus has one of the highest plant diversity levels in the world. The principal vegetation type of this region is fynbos, a mixture of evergreen shrub-like plants with small firm leaves. In the local Fernkloof Nature Reserve, 1,474 plant species have thus far been collected and identified

Grotto Beach is the largest beach in Hermanus and has also been proclaimed a "Blue Flag" beach. Blue flag beaches meet international environment, safety and management criteria. Other beaches with Blue Flag status include Voëlklip, Onrus, Kammabaai, Langbaai, and Hawston. The rugged coastline also hosts many other smaller beaches, coves and tidal pools.