The Whale Coast

In Hermanus' portion of The Whale Coast holidays, there are marine-based activities to suit every personality. Those who prefer a treacherous, heart stomping adventure take boat based white shark cage dives. The coat hanger-like cages give the daring an adequate thrill fix, and specially formulated chum attracts greater numbers of sharks to the boat for a more intimate viewing experience. Those who prefer their escapades to diminish their stress levels rather than increase them take boating trips in search of the most placid titans of the deep, Southern Right whales. These celestial creatures are a common sight to behold from land, so travellers can take cliff path ambles along the coastline in hope of spotting a pod. Orcas, though rare, have been sighted in Hermanus, but only those with luck on their side will be treated to a close up view of this species. Hermanus dishes up some of the Cape's most spectacular vistas, which turns overnight hikes through Fernkloof Reserve into breathtaking extravaganzas complete with majestic mountain and ocean views.

Betties Bay and Stanford offer eclectic travellers an artistic hub that is populated by some of South Africa's most prominent artists. Painters such as Tay Dahl and Hugo Maritz have set up home in the region, and local gallery walls display their most recent collections throughout the year. Stanford has its own cultural core, which consists largely of professional writers who are visited by world renowned poet, Dorian Haarhoff regularly. The Southern Writers in Hermanus holds regular workshops and readings for locals and visitors on holiday in The Whale Coast. Classical music enthusiasts snuggle into the cellar of the spectacular Sumaridge Wine Estate to listen to the musical performances it hosts throughout the year. These little known events are best sought out by rubbing shoulders with the locals. Sumaridge lacks the ostentation of more commercial wine estates, which makes it the ideal place in which to explore the art of winemaking whilst sipping some of the full bodied, elegant signature wines its cultivars have produced. 

Those who dwell in the Overberg establish a local character that is earthier and more diverse than those in most other South African towns. The Overberg is crammed with academics, musicians, hippies and bare foot nomads. A holiday to The Whale Coast should thus include some time spent mingling with these fascinating people on their own terrain. One of the most superlative ways to immerse oneself in a culture is by doing what locals do. In Hermanus, that means playing chess with the enthusiasts who gather at pubs and restaurants throughout the week. The Overberg's older set of retired professors and academics stage regular lectures on every imaginable subject under the banner of The University of the Third Age. Events are announced through the local newspaper. In Stanford, mingling means trying your hand at drawing and painting with other hobbiests at the Cummings Art Building. Ambling along the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route introduces you to the sculptures, paintings and ceramic creations of rural artists in their own homes.

Contrary to the travelling habits of most vacationers, a holiday in The Whale Coast offers a greater wealth of experiences in mid winter. The Overberg's weather mimics that of Cape Town almost exactly, with a comfortably temperate and tardy autumn that usually arrives in May.

In the midst of the chilly season, the Whale Coast is held captive to gales, potent storms and shivering conditions. A lazy spring also arrives late, only beginning two months after its official beginning in September. Mid summer's sweltering heat waves bring dry days their highest temperatures between December and February.

Welcoming the Whales

Marine-based holidays in The Whale Coast, South Africa typically begin in August. It is during this month that the Overberg officially welcomes the Southern Rights which arrive after an exhausting migration from Antarctica. The festivities draw crowds from across the globe. The crowds create an exhilarating ambience for travellers who enjoy being among the throngs. Cunning travellers who prefer to visit when The Whale Coast hotels are serene and free of hordes take advantage of the whales' early arrival in June. Mid winter trips offer more affordable prices as well as more vacant tours and hiking trails. Cape Aghullas, South Africa's southern most tip, is at its best in the depths of winter when rugged weather and storms add excitement to its dramatic land and seascapes.

Spring Swells

Those booking into The Whale Coast hotel in the spring months of September and October will be treated to the Overberg's most welcoming climate. The kinder rains of winter's end cool down the terrain, and the leftover chill keeps evenings exhilarating. Beach goers will favor spring time for its relatively choppy surfing conditions. The Whale Coast holiday becomes a surfer's wonderland offering a vast array of wave action. Extreme surfers risk Cape Agulhas in the middle of winter but September launches a more comfortable season for swells. Kokkerot is a bodyboarder's eden due to its squat swells, whilst Yellowsand is famed for its titanic waves. Kleinmond's left breaks are challenging, and Betty's Bay Beach has sandbars that produce shore break dumpers when the wind cooperates.

Extreme Summers

Extremists who love the taste of peril to be served against extravagant backdrops participate in their hazardous hobbies during the Overberg's summer months. Between December and March, the intense heat can be escaped by participating in scuba diving, kayaking and black water rafting. Gansbaai, Walkerbay and Hermanus oceans are home to one of the world's greatest populations of great white sharks. Whilst winters are the penultimate time to encounter this endangered species, summer divers will prefer the comfier sea temperatures of the warmer months. Sensitive scuba divers are unlikely to cope with the severe chill of winter's seas. During this season, hotels in The Whale Coast are often fully booked, so advanced planning is necessary.

Autumn Ambles

The greatest vantage point for whale viewing is from a mountaintop offset by oceanic panoramas. For this reason, every whale fanatic should include a few hiking trails in their itinerary. Travellers can book into a hotel in The Whale Coast reserves for direct access to natural terrain. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve brings you some of South Africa's most dramatic landscapes together with premier whale viewing. Private beaches stretch on for miles and hikers will also come into contact with some of the Overberg's tinier creatures. Dassies and baboons are encountered most frequently, and avid birders will spot an inimitable 200 bird species among the milkwoods and fynbos.