Hermanus is holiday heaven! Many, many years ago Hermanus Pieters must have thought this when he came across this idyllic seaside spot. It had a fresh water spring, good grazing, was nestled between beautiful fynbos-filled mountains and the sparkling ocean, and it wasn’t too far from his home on Boojntjieskraal Farm near Caledon.

Years after that it was probably the same thought that made Sir William Hoy use his senior position at the South African railways to stop the train track from Cape Town reaching Hermanus. He wanted to protect his favourite tranquil holiday spot from being easily accessible to holidaymakers – even though the Hermanus Station had already been built!

In fact it is probably this thought that has over the years inspired the many people who have created, preserved and maintained Hermanus as an idyllic holiday destination. The town has obviously grown; but residents, conservationists and local authorities work hard to ensure that a balance between infrastructure development and preservation of the natural heritage is maintained.   

Hermanus is one of the few small country towns in South Africa that has a city-like infrastructure, is conveniently close to a major city and is surrounded by pristine nature – mountains, lagoons, ocean, flora and fauna. It is this combination of accessible nature and modern infrastructure that makes Hermanus such a perfect holiday destination.  

The variety of nature within the town and nearby vicinity makes for a myriad of  holiday adventures – hiking, paragliding, surfing, golfing, abseiling, horse riding, wine tasting, whale watching,  kayaking, sailing, bird watching, sun bathing, swimming, sand boarding, kite flying, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, scuba diving – enough adventure for more than one holiday!  

The town of Hermanus is quaint and a shoppers delight. There are many specialty shops, a flea market, numerous fantastic art galleries as well as a few national retailers – including Woolworths!There are an abundance of restaurants to cater for every taste from sushi to Italian, Thai to traditional African and a range of fast food outlets for when you’re really on the go.

Hermanus has 2 hospitals, a medic-clinic with a range of specialist doctors, a National Sea Rescue base, a post office, library and several different sporting facilities – bowls, squash, tennis, cricket and rugby.

Best of all Hermanus (aka holiday heaven) is only a 90 minute drive from Cape Town International airport.  Close enough for comfort, far enough to really get away from it all and equipped to provide all the ingredients for a perfect holiday in South Africa.