Hermanus

Hermanus is built along the edge of Walker Bay, and the cliff path that runs above the water is the reason most people stay here: from roughly June to November it gives close land-based views of southern right whales without a boat. The town works well as a base for two or three nights and is the obvious overnight stop on any Whale Coast trip.

Accommodation follows the shoreline. The Old Village at the western end is the walkable part, close to the harbour, the market square and the start of the cliff path, and it holds guesthouses and smaller hotels in restored houses. Eastwards through Voelklip and Eastcliff the town becomes more residential, with self-catering houses and guesthouses set on the slopes above the path, and larger properties sit behind the lagoon towards Sandbaai and Onrus.

Two things matter when choosing. First, being on the cliff side genuinely changes the stay in whale season, so it is worth checking where a property actually sits rather than relying on the town name. Second, whale season and the September school holidays overlap, and booking well ahead matters here in a way it does not on much of the rest of the coast.