Towns and suburbs

Hermanus

Hermanus is a coastal town on Walker Bay in the Overberg. Find location details, local services, facilities, beaches and practical visitor information.

 

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Hermanus is a coastal town in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, about 115 km from Cape Town. It is known for seasonal whale watching, beaches, nature reserves and a range of local services and attractions. This page provides practical information, things to see and do, and useful local contacts for visitors and residents.

Hermanus 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.

Whale Watching in Hermanus

Hermanus is well known for seasonal whale watching. See when to visit, where to watch, and how to spot whales in Hermanus. Learn about whale species HERE

Things to See and Do in Hermanus

Outdoor Activities in Hermanus

  • 5 km Parkrun, every Saturday at 8:00 am. – Hermanus Forest, Camphill Road,
  • Every Saturday at 8:00 am for the Benguela Cove Park Run 5km. The parkrun is family and dog-friendly!
  • The rotary way (short walk) is about 4 km from the town.
  • 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. Find a list of rental outlets in Hermanus
  • The Hermanus Biodiversity Walk between Hermanuspietersfontein and Gearing’s Point is a self-guided walk with stone seated information nodes and signs explaining many aspects of the biodiversity of this section of coastline.
  • Shaw’s mountain pass

  • Landmarks and Local Experiences

    • HOY’s koppie: A rocky outcrop in the middle of the town where Sir William Hoy and his wife Gertrude are buried
    • Scotsman’s Point at the New Harbour, where the Cliff Path begins. The harbour was completed in l951 as a safe anchorage for commercial and private craft. The National Sea Rescue headquarters is here
    • 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.
    • The Old Harbour Museum contains exhibits about the whaling industry.

    • Shopping

    • Thrfit shopping
    • Collectible books

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 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.

Location and Administrative Information

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Browse Businesses and Places to Visit in Hermanus

Find restaurants, wine farms, services, markets, attractions and local businesses in Hermanus

 

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Useful Numbers and Local Information in Hermanus

Transport

Public transit in Hermanus is limited; there is no comprehensive local bus or metro system in place. Other options

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

Local Weather in Hermanus today

 

Resources

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

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)
    028 313 016 (Emergency Department)
  • Public hospital: 028 313 5200/ 01
  • Clinic– Zwelihle Clinic- 028 313 5700
  • Pharmacy;028 312 4039
  • Municipal & Utilities
  • 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.co
  • Tourism: 028 313 1351
  • Civic Centre, Magnolia Street,  028 313 8000,
  • Hermanus Historical Society

  • Schools in Hermanus

  • Hermanus Primary-028 312 1
  • Hermanus High School-028 312 3760
  • Generation Schools Hermanus-087 285 5837
  • Hermanus Waldorf School-028 316 2938
  • Mount Pleasant Primary School-028 313 0816
  • Zwelihle Primary School-074 233 3317
  • Qhayiya Secondary School-028 313 0001
  • Lukhanyo Primary School-028 312 1552
  • Hermanus Christian Academy-028 316 2674

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