16 Reasons Guesthouse

The town of Hermanus "proper" meanders along the western cove of Walker Bay between magnificent sea cliffs and the foot of the Olifantsberg Mountains. Hermanus Pieters, an itinerant teacher of Caledon farmers' children, was the first permanent resident in the early 1800s. Having come across a fresh spring and greener pastures he settled on the shore of this enchanting bay. The spring came to be known as Hermanuspietersfontein but was shortened to Hermanus when municipal status was given to the town in 1904.

Hermanus has a station that has no trains or railway lines, thanks to Sir William Hoy, Commissioner of the South African Railways, who in the early 1900’s stopped any rail development making certain that Hermanus retains its clear, crisp, clean “champagne air” to this day. The Hermanus Tourism Bureau is housed in the Old Station Building in Mitchell Street.

Hermanus, also referred to as the Riviera of the South, is attractive to travelers not only because of its wondrous setting, quaint fisherman’s cottages and unspoilt natural beauty, but also because it offers a myriad of Activities all year round. The sun and pristine beaches (Grotto Beach has Blue Flag status) in summer and land-based whale watching in the green months; fishing, diving, hiking, cycling, fly-fishing, boating, bird-watching, paragliding, golf, bowls, quad biking, mountain biking riding, and great white shark cage diving nearby.