Water sports
Hermanus has two large lagoons for sailing and motorised sports. There are a number of different surfing, diving and fishing spots. One is advised never to swim alone because of strong currents, especially during spring and neap tides.
Walks
Fernkloof Nature Reserve has a variety of unspoiled coastal mountain fynbos, which offers a large range of proteas, ericas and other fynbos species. Over 50 km of hiking trails in the reserve, which cater for all ages and fitness levels. Some examples are:
Yellow route (45 min)
Red route (1,5 hours)
Green route (2 hours)
Along the trails, seeing animals are a common occurrence. Some of the animals you can see include baboons, Klipspringer (small antelope), grysbok and steenbok as well as snakes, Black Eagles, Buzzards, sugarbirds, sunbirds and ground woodpecker. If you are not a hiking fan, Fernkloof has more to offer than just walks. You can have a picnic in the gardens, take gentle walks, learn about some uses of local plants in the herb garden and there are also slide shows and talks in the Fernkloof hall. There is also a mountain bike trail for all the aspiring mountain bikers.
Fishing
Hermanus attract anglers from all over the country. There are many different types of species of fish ranging from cob and steenbras to yellowtail, Cape salmon and snoek. Although fishing here is very popular, one needs to obtain a fishing permit to be allowed to fish and there is a limit as to how many fish you catch in a day. Charted sightseeing and fishing trips are also very popular.
Diving
If you have a permit, you can go perlemoen and crayfish fishing. These and other marine delicacies live off the coast of Hermanus. If you can’t dive or are inexperienced, there are courses that are run for scuba diving. If the seas are calm enough, one can go snorkeling.
Sports
The are a number of different boat trips around the Old Harbour. Horse trips along the beach are also particularly popular. Mountains over looking Hermanus are one of the best hand-gliding and paragliding sites in the Cape. On warm, windless days one can see hundreds of colourful canopies flying over Hermanus.
Shopping
There are a number of different shops, both quaint and popular, which makes shopping in Hermanus a fascinating experience. All stores small and large are within walking distance of one another. There are also a lot of small tearooms that one can have a light meal at. Some examples of shops are
Village Square, Trading Post, Victoria Square, Oudehof Mall & many more.
Bird watching
Around 60 species of birds have been recorded on the Hermanus cliff path and up to
186 types of birds at the bird sanctuary. There is a bird hide near the Klein River Lagoon (in Hermanus) where you can view the different species of birds.
Back to