Hermanus

• Province: Western Cape
• Overberg
• Coordinates: 34°25′S 19°15′E
•  Area: 4.65 km2
• Municipality: Overstrand

Hermanus is a coastal town in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, about 115 km south-east of Cape Town. It lies along Walker Bay between the Botrivier Lagoon and the Kleinrivier Mountains, just off the R43 from Botrivier. The town is easily reached via the N2 and R43 and serves as the main centre for the Overstrand area, including Onrus, Vermont, Sandbaai and Voëlklip. Its position on the sheltered bay makes it well known for seasonal whale watching and coastal walking routes.

History of Hermanus

The town was originally called Hermanuspietersfontein. It was shortened in 1902 by the postmaster who felt the name was too long for envelopes. Hermanus Pieters was a Dutch teacher who arrived in Cape Town in 1815. He was quickly employed by Dutch farmers who wanted their children taught in Dutch. The language of education in government schools at the time was English. He settled in Caledon, but he taught children in a wide surrounding area. He took his holidays at the spring (fontein), which is in Here he fished and grazed his sheep. The place eventually became known as “Hermanus Pieter se fontyn”, but he died before it was named. Word got around that he had found fresh water and good grazing, so many farmers followed him into the valley in search of the pasture and good fishing. From that time, a permanent settlement was established. The first hotel was built in 1891, and the municipality was proclaimed in 1904

A railway station with no trains

Word spread overseas, too and soon Harley Street doctors prescribed a stay here for rest and recuperation. Holidaymakers from around the world began to visit Hermanus.
Sir William Hoy, who was head of the SA Railways and harbour services, also took his family on holiday here and was very fond of the town. At the time, plans had been drawn up to extend the railway line from Bot Rivier to Hermanus. The station was built, but Sir William expressed concern about pollution of the local “champagne air” and also that hundreds of tourists would descend on the quiet town and spoil the peace he loved so much. He overruled the decision, and Hermanus station is the only one in the world that has never seen a train. The building is presently used as the tourism office.
In the 1940s, a safer new harbour was built, but the Old Harbour is a popular tourist attraction along with the Old Harbour Museum.

The Victoria Hotel was the first one built here, and the Marine Hotel was built soon after in 1902. The hotels were frequented by the British upper classes.

The Old Harbour and Marine Hotel  c.1920
The town is now most famous for the whales which visit the shore from winter to spring. The southern right whale is the most prolific but not the only whale to visit the shores. The whales were once hunted, and there was a whaling station in the nearby Betty’s Bay. They are now protected. The Old Harbour Museum contains exhibits about the whaling industry.

The nearby hamlet of Onrus also has a great beach.  Onrus was home to several famous Afrikaner artists and authors, including  Gregoire Boonzaaier, Elsa Joubert, Uys Krige, Hennie Niemann, Jan Rabie and Marjorie Wallace.

Hemel en Aarde Leper Sanctuary

Founded in 1817, the Hemel en Aarde Leper Sanctuary was a remote refuge where Moravian missionaries cared for lepers with deep compassion. Surrounded by dramatic mountains, the name “Hemel en Aarde” (Heaven and Earth) reflected both the setting and spirit of the place. Rev. Leitner and his wife arrived in 1822, transforming the community through faith, farming, and practical improvements like an aqueduct. Their impact was lasting—when the hospital moved to Robben Island, patients begged for their teachers to remain with them. Today, the valley is known for its wine, fresh air, and natural beauty, with its compassionate past woven into the landscape’s legacy.

The parents of Roger Bushell, leader of the “Great Escape” (the escape by Allied airmen from Stalag Luft III in World War II), retired here after World War II, and are buried there. Bushell’s name is one of those commemorated on the war memorial.

The licence plate prefix for Hermanus is CEM, and the postcode is 7200

local WEATHER IN TODAY

Browse businesses and places to visit in Hermanus

Things to see and do in Hermanus

• In June, The FynArts Festival 084 600 7058
• Beaches in Hermanus
• Visit the Markets 
• Wine and Food Festival  028 316 3988  at the Curro school
• The Walker Bay Orchid Festival is held in September at St. Peter’s church hall
•    , www.hermanuswhalefestival.co.za
• Flower festival at Fernkloof  maver@mweb.co.za
• Shaw’s mountain pass
• Kalfie fees at Onrus. Afrikaans entertainment weekend navrae@kalfiefees.co.za
• 5 km Parkrun, every Saturday at 8:00 am. – Hermanus Forest, Camphill Road,
• Rotary way (short walk) is about 4 km from the town.
• HOY’s koppie: A rocky outcrop in the middle of the town where Sir William Hoy and his wife Gertrude are buried.
• Hermanus Historical Society
• Great surfing at Walker Bay
• The municipal swimming pool is at 209 Malva Street, open daily from 8.00 to 17.00 in summer.
• The Hermanus MTB Trail. Purchase a permit from Euodia Cycle 028 316 2119
•  First Fridays is a monthly event in which all 22 galleries in the town remain open until 8.30 pm, 083 259 8869
• Art In The Park is open on the first Sunday of every month at the Country Market venue
• Whale season is between June and December. Read about whales and dolphins here
• The Whale Crier walks through the streets, blowing codes on his kelp horn to tell people where whales have been seen.
• Zwelihle is a lively township on the outskirts of Hermanus,  home to about 22,000 people. Many residents work in the town’s tourism industry.
• Find out more details about these things to see and do HERE

For permits, fishing rules, shell collecting regulations and other practical outdoor information relevant to Hermanus, see the Colourdots coastal and nature use guide

Useful Numbers in Hermanus

Emergency Services

• Police: 028 313 5300
• Fire: Emergency – 028 312 2400
• Ambulance:028 312 3219
• Sea Rescue-028 312 3180

Medical

• Closest hospital: Mediclinic   086 173 2826
  028 313 0168 (Alternative number)
  028 313 0168 (Emergency Department)
• Public hospital: 028 313 5200/ 01
• Clinic– Zwelihle Clinic- 028 313 5700
• Pharmacy;028 312 4039

Municipal & Utilities

• Water:
• Electricity:028 316-2630

• Municipality-028 313 8000

Transport & Roads

• Traffic department: 028 313 8111

Community & Safety

• SPCA: 028 312 1281 – Hermanus Animal Welfare. adoptions@hermanusanimalwelfare.co.za.
•  Injured Animals and/or Birds on the Beach 028 312 2609

Local Contacts and Community Resources in Hermanus

• Post office: 028 312 1500
• Library:028 313 8077
• Local paper   Hermanus Times 028 312 3717
•  Ratepayers Association (HRA); 028 313 1351
• Botanical Society botsochermanus@gmail.com
• Tourism: 028 313 1351

Schools in Hermanus