Hermanus is a town with the heart of a seaside village, though new housing is spreading like wildfire. The *** rating is a result of the magical whale-watching opportunities from the towns cliffs, particularly the rocky promontory of Castle Rock from which you can go almost eyeball-to-eyeball with Southern Right Whales from July to November. Hermanus also offers kayaking whale trips, shark cage diving, cliff top walking trails and some good beaches, particularly Grotto Beach in Walker Bay.
The town of Hermanus got its name from Hermanus Pieters, an itinerant teacher and sheep farmer. In 1902 the name of the little village was Hermanus Pietersfontein, and latter abbreviated to Hermanus.
The Old Harbour Museum is another landmark of the town, which has an outside display of an old sea wall, old fishing boats and reconstructed stone fishing huts.
In the surrounding Hemel & Aarde Valley just 2 km outside Hermanus you can embark on the Hermanus Wine Route. This is one of the few places in the country where you can experience the Great White Shark in their natural environment. But if this is not for you, then viewing from the surface is also an experience as sharks are surface feeders and are very happy to perform for your amusement. The Whale Crier
like wildfire. The *** rating is a result of the magical whale-watching opportunities from the towns cliffs, particularly the rocky promontory of Castle Rock from which you can 
go almost eyeball-to-eyeball with Southern Right Whales from July to November. Hermanus also offers kayaking whale trips, shark cage diving, cliff top walking trails and some good beaches, particularly Grotto Beach in Walker Bay.
The Old Harbour Museum is another landmark of the town, which has an outside display of an old sea wall, old fishing boats and reconstructed stone fishing huts.