A Favorite – February 2021 – Go…See…Do…Be

We love exploring new places in and around Hermanus, plus visiting our preferred spots in the bay-side city.

We have trekked several of the hiking paths in Fernkloof Nature Reserve, an 18 square-kilometer area with over 1,250 species of plants and elevations ranging from sea level to just over 800 meters. And we took advantage of the strategically-placed, mountain-top bench with great views of Walker Bay.

Each time we walk the cliff path we look for whales and seals. So far we have had no luck seeing the southern right whales which migrate to the southern coast of Africa each winter and spring to have their babies. We have not sat on all of the 160+ benches along the 12 kilometer path, but we have taken in the views from at least 15 of them.

This is the only cliff walk bench with a crocodile, alive or otherwise.

Wave watching is more exciting when a storm moves along the continent’s south coast, even if the storm is many, many kilometers away.

It was easier to compare wave size and tidal patterns at the breakwater at the old harbor.

Since our last visit to Hermanus, some new statues were installed along cliff walk. Here are some of our favorites:

*The View* by Jean Theron Louw
Created from stainless steel, steel, wood, and resin

Local artists decorate the metal posts separating the street from the cliff path at Gearings Point.

We discovered that The Sculpture Park is a peaceful place to sit in the afternoon if there are no whales to watch in the bay.

The cliff path is home to many dassies, some of whom are not very shy. The cute little critters are also called rock hyrax.

We took an afternoon cruise around Walker Bay in hopes of seeing more sea life. We didn’t get great photos of the penguins, seals, and one Bryde’s whale, but at least we saw creatures. Name after Norwegian Johan Bryde, this dark grey mammal averages about 13 meters in length.

Concrete shapes to break the waves at the new harbor

For more details about and pictures of Hermanus, check out “Exploring Africa’s Southern Coast” post that describes our previous visits in April & May 2019. Just click on “South Africa” in the categories menu in the right side bar of our home page and then scroll down for the post.