HERMANUS
WHALES & STAYS ACCOMMODATION
Hermanus Accommodation
The Hermanus Whale Coast offers the discerning traveller an impressive variety of guest house, lodge, villa, beach cottage, hotel, and self-catering accommodation stays. The accommodation options listed will undoubtedly contribute to making your Hermanus beach holiday a memorable and truly unforgettable stay experience.
ā
ā Travelling from Cape Town
Hermanus forms the hub of the whale coast ans it is located approxamately 115 km southeast of Cape Town and is connected to the Mother City by the R43 highway (or coastal R44 scenic route) and N2 motorway. The R43 continues to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of Africa. Hermanus is 40 km from Gansbaai, a famous spot where one can dive amongst the Great White Sharks.
ā
Hermanus Facilities
The Hermanus Yacht Club is a popular yacht club in the Western Cape amongst the yachting community. It hosted the Laser (dinghy) 4.7 worlds in 2007. The Hermanus Golf Club in Eastcliff is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. Hermanus is also famous to locals for its historic Windsor Hotel, Marine Hotel, various fishermen's cottages and old harbour.
ļ»æ
Hermanus Beaches
Grotto Beach is the largest beach in Hermanus and has also been proclaimed a "Blue Flag" beach which ensures its preservation as a world heritage site. Other beaches include Voƫlklip, Onrus, Kammabaai and Langbaai.
Hermanus Whales, whale watching and whale-spotting
Hermanus has since August 1992 had the worldās only Whale Crier (the first being Pieter Classen 1992-1998, then Wilson Salukazana 1998-2006, Zolile Baleni since April 2006 who sounds his kelp horn to announce where whales have been sighted. Zakes Mda wrote 2005 the novel The Whale Caller (ISBN 0-312-42382-9) in which the Whale Crier of Hermanus is the main character, a man who gets enthralled by a Southern Right whale named Sharisha.
ļ»æ
Hermanus Whale Festival
Hermanus hosts an annual whale festival at the end of September, to celebrate the providential returning of the southern right whales to this bay during the calving and mating season. Prior to this main whale festival a "Kalfiefees" (or "Calf Festival") is held, to welcome the first whales (usually in August). Both festivals are characterised by food and craft stalls, environmental presentations and South African drama productions.
Around the town
The hinterland beyond the town is largely wild and mountainous and there are many remote areas of hills and wild ravines covered in pristine Cape 'Fynbos'. The rising thermals rising around the rugged heights of the Fernkloof Nature Reserve attract para-gliders from all over the world.
Hermanus Craft Markets
Various art, food, and craft markets are held in and around Hermanus every weekend attracting local residents, and all the many holiday goers, and those on day-trips. In the centre of town is the Lemm's Corner Market where you can buy anything from clothes, art and food. The Food & Wine Market is at Hermanuspietersfontein in the Hemel-en-Aarde Village. The Hermanus Country Market is located at the cricket fields.
ļ»æ
(Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermanus)
Hermanus Location and Historical Background
Hermanus (originally called Hermanuspietersfontein, but shortened as the name was too long for the postal service), is a town with 80,400 inhabitants (2011 census) on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous for watching southern right whales during the southern winter and spring, and is a popular retirement town. The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town centre from as early as June and usually depart in early December. They were once hunted in the nearby town of Betty's Bay, but are now protected to ensure the survival of the species. The Old Harbour Museum contains several exhibitions that explain the whaling industry, and the De Wetshuis Photo Museum houses an exhibition of photos by T D Ravenscroft that depicts the history of Hermanus. The Whale Museum houses a skeleton of a whale and an audio-visual presentation of whales and dolphins is shown there twice daily.
ā
Hermanus has since August 1992 the worldās only Whale Crier (the first being Pieter Classen 1992-1998, then Wilson Salukazana 1998-2006, Zolile Baleni since April 2006 who sounds his kelp horn to announce where whales have been sighted. (Image courtesy of Jeremy Brown)
Hermanus hosts an annual whale festival at the end of September, to celebrate the providential returning of the southern right whales to this bay during the calving and mating season. (Image courtesy of Jeremy Brown)
Hermanus has since August 1992 the worldās only Whale Crier (the first being Pieter Classen 1992-1998, then Wilson Salukazana 1998-2006, Zolile Baleni since April 2006 who sounds his kelp horn to announce where whales have been sighted. (Image courtesy of Jeremy Brown)