Hermanus has grown from a rustic fishing village to a much-visited tourist resort famed for its superb whale watching. It is the self-proclaimed world’s best land-based whale- watching site, and indeed Walker Bay is host to impressive numbers during the calving season (July to November). However, don’t expect any private viewings – Hermanus is very popular and has a steady flow of binocular-clutching visitors. While this means it can get very busy, there is also a good range of accommodation and restaurants, making it a great base for exploring the quieter reaches of the Overberg and, while you may find it far too crowded at Christmas, at other times it reverts to its small-town calm. Alternatively, being only a few hours from Cape Town, Hermanus is an easy day trip from the city.
The town is named after Hermanus Pieters, an old soldier who set up camp in the bay while looking for better pastures for his animals during the hot summer months. The presence of a freshwater spring persuaded him to spend the summer here. Soon other farmers arrived with their families from the interior. Almost by accident it became a holiday destination – the herds required little attention, so the men turned their attention to fishing while the women and children enjoyed themselves on the sandy beaches. When the farmers returned inland to the winter pastures, it was the fishermen who remained and settled here.
In the 1920s the town gained a reputation as an excellent location for convalescing, and even doctors from Harley Street in London were recommending the ‘champagne air’ of Hermanus. As it became popular with the gentry, so suitably smart hotels were built to accommodate them. After the Second World War the construction of a new harbour stimulated the expansion of the fishing industry and there are now three canning factories in Walker Bay.
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