HERMANUS
Bay Haven is situated in Hermanus, in the Overberg
region of the Western Cape - on the famous 'South
Coast Whale Route'. Hermanus is known as one of the
best land-based whale-watching sites in the world
and has the world's only whale crier!
Southern right whales visit Walker Bay from July to
November where they mate and give birth. The whales
are so plentiful that many are seen close to shore,
only metres from the well-known cliff paths of
Hermanus. From December to June the whales spend
their time in the cold polar regions of the southern
hemisphere. The southern right whale was so named
because it was considered to be the 'right' whale to
catch.
The region has plenty to offer the visitor besides
whale watching:
Enjoy breathtaking scenery ranging from walks on
long sandy beaches to mountain hikes surrounded by
the 'fynbos' vegetation.
The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (Heaven on Earth) has an
interesting 'wine meander' where one can taste
excellent local wines at the various vineyards. And
what would travelling be without sampling the local
cuisine? Enjoy the diverse selection of restaurants
and bars in Hermanus and the surrounding region. For
the adventure lover, there is much on offer:
parasailing, sand-boarding, shark-cage-diving, water
sports, quad-biking and much more. For those in
search of tranquillity and relaxation, Hermanus is
also the ideal spot: Take a stroll from Bay Haven
around the village with its quaint shops, craft
market and museums, or to the cliff paths to view a
whale breaching only metres away!
For golf enthusiasts a round of golf on the
picturesque newly upgraded 27-hole course at
Hermanus Golf Club is an excellent way to spend the
day. The course has breathtaking views of the
surrounding mountains and ocean. With its indigenous
fynbos plants and rolling fairways, the Hermanus
golf course is considered a “must-play” in South
Africa.
The magnificent Arabella Golf Club at the Western
Cape Hotel & Spa is set on the banks of the Bot
River lagoon and is only 25 min from Hermanus. This
course was ranked by Complete Golfer magazine as the
number one golf course in the Western Cape and also
featured in Golf Digest’s USA’s Top 100 courses
outside of America in 2005
Hermanus is centrally located as a base for visiting
many interesting towns in the area: from Greyton
with it's lovely old houses, beautiful gardens and
great restaurants to Cape Aghulas - the southern
most tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic
Oceans meet, and the famous Stellenbosch and
Franschhoek wine lands, with many more towns and
villages in between.
Hermanus is only 120km from Cape Town, and en-route
to the Garden Route, so it makes an ideal stopover
for a traveller touring the Cape region.
|
|
