Most people are drawn to Hermanus with the promise of some of the best whale watching in the world.
But as we discovered ourselves, whale watching (by boat) is not always a kid-friendly activity. So is Hermanus a good place to visit with kids if you don’t want to go whale watching?
Well in short – yes. There are lots of things to do in Hermanus with kids. We spent two days there and have put together this guide to family-friendly things to do in Hermanus as it is a lovely place to visit. And the best thing – you can still see whales without going on a boat!
There are some great beaches, wine estates and national parks. There are lots of accommodation options and great restaurants. It really has all the holiday vibes.
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The best things to do in Hermanus with kids
Before I list out the things to do in Hermanus as a family, here’s a little bit about Hermanus to help with your planning.
Hermanus lies about 75 miles south east of Cape Town and is almost the most southern point of South Africa. This title actually belongs to L’Agulhas.
It is an easy drive along the N2 from Cape Town to Bot-River and then down the R43 straight into Hermanus. The journey should take you a little under 2 hours which means you can do a day trip to Hermanus from Cape Town. See our guide to Cape Town with kids.
Most of these trips involve whale watching (see here for a popular day trip from Cape Town to Hermanus to see the whales) but there are also trips like this that include Hermanus and the surrounding area.
If you have the time, we recommend spending a couple of days here as it is a beautiful part of South Africa. You can also incorporate it into a Cape Town to Port Elizabeth road trip, including the famous Garden Route.
Take a hike in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve
The Fernkloof Nature Reserve is located just on the edge of town. There are a few different walks you can do there and they are all quite easy but some are better suited to younger kids than others. Sturdy footwear is a good idea – not flip flops.
During the hike we saw quite a lot of wildlife (mainly birds and lizards). Do pay attention to warnings at the beginning of the trail about snakes. Whilst we didn’t see any, it is the perfect place for Puff Adders.
There is a very small visitors centre with maps (and that is about it so bring any refreshments with you).
We took the red circular route to the waterfall which should take around 90 mins but we added on the green route (Lemoenkop) rand Adder Ladder because we wanted to see the incredible views along the coast from the top of Adder’s Ladder.
Visit the beaches in and around Hermanus
Visiting a beach whilst in South Africa should be high on your list of things to do and there are a few family-friendly beaches in and around Hermanus to try.
The beaches in the centre of Hermanus are actually rocky so you need to get away from the centre to find a lovely, sandy beach.
The beaches we loved are:
Onrus Beach
Onrus Beach is the beach at Onrus River, a small holiday village about 5 miles to the west of Hermanus.
As you would expect from a family-friendly beach there are lifeguards. There is also a great little restaurant called Milk on the Beach where you can have a lovely meal or just chill with a smoothie. The views of the beach and the river from the deck are perfect.
The waves can get quite rough here so you really need to be careful. If you feel that the waves are too big, the Onrus Rivier joins the sea here and is the perfect place for little ones to play. Don’t be put off by the brown water!
It’s also a great spot to watch the surfers catch some waves or to watch a beautiful sunset. Take Atlantic Drive west away from Onrus Beach and round the corner for the best sunset views and rockpooling.
Onrus Beach is actually a great place to stay and you can easily visit all the things to do in Hermanus from here. See here for our Onrus Beach accommodation recommendation.
Grotto Beach
Grotto Beach is a blue flag beach which means it is good for families. Lifeguards are on duty from December to February. You’ll never have trouble finding a spot to yourselves on this massive expanse of white sand.
It stretches from the outskirts of town to the Klein River Lagoon where kids can go searching for crabs. The tide and currents can be strong here, but the beach is very shallow so it is still a great place for families.
Hawston Beach
Also worth visiting is Hawston Beach which is another lovely blue flag beach and around 10 miles west of Hermanus.
Betty’s Bay
And finally, Betty’s Bay (Bettiesbaai) is around 30 miles west of Hermanus. Here you’ll find a cute holiday town with a beautiful beach and another penguin colony at Stony Point Nature Reserve (in case you missed them in Cape Town).
Take a walk around the Old Harbour
The Old Harbour in Hermanus is a picturesque little spot and worth taking some time to explore, even if you just want to have a paddle in the calm waters of the harbour.
The Old Harbour Museum is here, giving visitors a picture of the heritage of Hermanus. Also around here you’ll find the whale statue, the war memorial and the whale museum.
As this is pretty much the centre of town, you’ll also find lots of souvenir shops and restaurants.
There is also a little play area where the kids can hang out and parents can enjoy fabulous views whilst looking out for whales. Keep a look out for the cute Rock Hyrax dotted around.
Whale watching in Hermanus
We can’t really write a guide to the things to do with kids in Hermanus without mentioning whales can we?
Whale season in Hermanus runs from early June to late November. The Southern Right Whales arrive in their hundreds to breed and give birth in the waters surrounding Hermanus.
The Hermanus Whale Festival is held annually one weekend in late September to early October and offers entertainment for people of all ages.
If you want to get a good sighting of the whales, a boat trip is the way to do it. See here for our recommended whale watching trip. During your boat trip, you might also see dolphins, African penguins and Cape Fur seals.
But if you don’t want to take the kids out on a boat or if boat trips aren’t running due to adverse weather, you can still get great sightings from the shore.
A couple of places you can visit for good whale sightings from the shore are:
- Gearing’s Point – great whale watching opportunities right in the centre of Hermanus just off Marine Drive.
- Grotto Beach – Between September and November Southern Right Whales gather in Walker Bay and daily sightings from Grotto Beach are *almost* guaranteed.
Go wine tasting in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley
On previous trips to South Africa we have visited the more well-known wine regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek (the Cape Winelands).
The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a lesser known wine region in South Africa but just as beautiful. Hemel-en-Aarde translates as Heaven and Earth and is known as the Pinot Noir capital of South Africa.
The wineries here are all roughly within 10 miles of each other so getting around them is very easy. There are 17 wine estates in Hemel en Aarde but these are the ones the kids will find most interesting.
Creation – their wines are amazing but don’t miss out on their food! They are known for their food and wine pairings and also have a special kids menu with matching cordials.
La Vierge – has a great story behind their name. Make sure to ask the server to explain it. They also have amazing views of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (including from their toilets!) and there is a boules pitch on the terrace (over 12s only).
Bouchard Finlayson – established in 1989 and produces some of the best Pinot Noir in South Africa. They offer food and wine pairing for kids. You can also take a guided tour of the cellars by arrangement or take a vineyard walk or a fynbos walk.
If you want to explore more wine estates during your visit to South Africa, the Cape Winelands have lots of lovely family-friendly wine estate. Don’t miss one of these incredible South African wine estate picnics for kids.
Take a Cliff Path walk
If you are feeling up for a stroll, you could try The Cliff Path (also part of the Fernkloof Nature Reserve) which runs for almost 8 miles along the Hermanus coast.
You can start at The New Harbour (car parking available). From here is is about 2 miles to Gearing’s Point close to the town centre of Hermanus. Maybe stop for a drink at Ficks Pool before heading on. The path takes you all the way to Grotto Beach. If you are visiting during whale season, there are multiple opportunities to spot whales from the path.
You can do as little or as much of it as you want. It is a level walking surface and mostly wheelchair friendly.
Enjoy sundowners at Ficks
Ficks is a fabulous restaurant overlooking Ficks Pool in Hermanus.
They serve delicious cocktails and pinchos which are perfect to enjoy as the sun goes down. They are open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 9pm.
Ficks do not take reservations so if you can’t get a table you can also try Bientangs Cave for a similar experience.
So these are our favourite things to do in Hermanus with kids. If there are any other fun things we should add, let us know!
