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The Overberg: Hermanus, Walker Bay and the Whale Coast.
The Overberg is the region east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains, along the south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the Garden Route. Its coast includes Hermanus and Walker Bay, Gansbaai and Kleinmond. We plan Overberg stays as part of a Western Cape trip, and run day trips to Hermanus and Gansbaai from Cape Town.
Hermanus and Walker Bay
Hermanus sits on Walker Bay, with a cliff path along the shore. The Overstrand municipality gives the drive from Cape Town as about 1½ hours (140 km).
Southern right whales come into the bay in season. Our full-day Hermanus tour from Cape Town is timed for shore-based whale watching between August and November.
STAYS IN HERMANUS
- The MarineA hotel on Main Road beside the Hermanus cliff path, overlooking Walker Bay, with a courtyard pool and spa
- Birkenhead HouseEleven rooms across three cliff-top houses above Walker Bay
- Mosaic Lagoon LodgeFive safari-style suites on the Hermanus Lagoon near Stanford
GANSBAAI
Gansbaai and Grootbos
Gansbaai lies further along Walker Bay. Near it, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve looks over the bay from fynbos and milkwood forest.
STAY NEAR GANSBAAI
- Grootbos Forest LodgeSixteen free-standing suites in Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, above Walker Bay
- Grootbos Garden LodgeEleven one- and two-bedroom suites for families, with a children’s programme
Kleinmond and the Kogelberg
Kleinmond, west of Hermanus, lies in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, the first UNESCO biosphere reserve in South Africa. Arabella overlooks the Bot River estuary, which the Overstrand municipality describes as the largest natural estuary in the country.
STAY IN KLEINMOND
- Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa145 rooms with an 18-hole golf course and a spa, above the Bot River lagoon
DAY TRIPS FROM CAPE TOWN
Whale season and the coast
If you are staying in Cape Town, two of our day trips go to this coast.
- Full-Day Hermanus TourFrom Cape Town over a mountain pass to Hermanus, for shore-based whale watching from August to November
- Marine Big Five Safari ExperienceFrom Cape Town to Gansbaai for a two-hour marine safari cruise, with lunch included
SMALL-GROUP TOURS
On a scheduled tour
Two of our small-group tours spend time in Hermanus.
- Garden Route & Cape WinelandsTwo nights in Hermanus; a boat-based whale-watching trip is optional, at your own cost
- South Africa OdysseyA night in Hermanus on the whale coast, on the way back towards Cape Town
Getting there
The Overberg coast is reached by road from Cape Town. We can arrange a private road transfer, or plan the stay into a self-drive itinerary.
Planning the Overberg?
Tell us when you are travelling, who is coming and how the coast fits with Cape Town or the Garden Route, and we will suggest where to stay.