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Hermanus
Location: Western Cape, South Africa
Climate: Sub tropical Mediterranean climate with mild wet winters (Jun – Aug) and hot dry Summers (Nov – Mar) – best time to visit: Mar – Jun or Sept – Nov.
Typical Landscape: Cliffs, whale viewing spots
Hermanus is a town on the Southern coast of the Western Cape and is most famous for being the perfect spot from which to watch whales during the winter and spring. The whales can be seen from the magical cliffs in the town centre as early as June. The Old Harbour Museum contains several fascinating exhibitions on the history of the whales and South Africa.
From Hermanus one can also cage dive with Great Whites – not for the faint hearted but a true once in a lifetime experience. Hermanus also boasts a popular yacht club.
Grotto Beach in Hermanus is a protected site, and is wild and remote. Hermanus hosts the annual whale festival at the end of September, when the Southern Right whales come into the bay for the mating season. The festival is characterized by food and craft stalls, and dramatic productions.
Hermanus’s surrounding countryside is wild and mountainous with rugged ravines and untrodden hills. The rising thermals around the Fernkloof Nature Reserve attract paragliders from all over the world.
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