The town of Hermanus got its name from Hermanus Pieters, an itinerant teacher and sheep farmer. He first came to the Cape in the early 1800's, and settled in the Caledon district. He brought his sheep to the coast for grazing. After that came fishermen and holiday makers from the Cape. In 1902 the name of the little village was Hermanus Pietersfontein, and latter abbreviated to Hermanus.

Winter has many sunny days, and mild with high winds at times. Temp. 14ºC. The summers are dry and sunny, with extreme heat tempered by sea breeze. Temp. 26ºC.  Hermanus is one of the best whale watching spots in the country, and it even has its own Whale Crier, who announces the sighting of whales with a blow of his kelp horn, calling everyone in the town to come watch these majestic animals of the ocean frolick in the water.

The Old Harbour Museum is another landmark of the town, which has an outside display of an old sea wall, old fishing boats and reconstructed stone fishing huts. The inside display is of anything used for fishing in the early days and aquarium displays of locally caught specimens.  In the surrounding Hemel & Aarde Valley (Heaven & Earth Valley) just 2 km outside Hermanus you can embark on the Hermanus Wine Route. This area is fast making a name for itself for its magnificent Burgundy varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay  Another attraction of a different kind, is Great White Shark Diving - from a close distance , in a safe environment, if that makes you feel any better. This is one of the few places in the country where you can experience these predators in their natural environment without being the hunted!! But if this is not for you, then viewing from the surface is also an experience as sharks are surface feeders and are very happy to perform for your amusement.