Find some of the best Western Cape accommodation and packages on the Cape Whale Coast where glorious Hermanus hotels stand proud over bays full of whales. This beautiful meandering 130 km stretch of pristine coast starts in the magical village of Rooiels, into Betty’s Bay and continues past Kleinmond, and Pringle Bay to Hermanus and Gansbaai. It includes the popular little inland villages in the mountains and valleys of this Overstrand region, beside the wheat-growing Overberg.
The Cape Whale route offers some of the best land-based whale watching in the world, flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Fynbos mountains on the other side. Birdwatching and wildlife viewing add to this unique tourism route, one of our best family-friendly holidays in South Africa.
Every year, numerous Southern Right and Humpback whales migrate from the icy Antarctic, their main feeding grounds, to mate and calve in the warmer waters of the Cape. The whale season usually starts in July, peaking in September and tailing off in November. The little towns of Hermanus and De Kelders are at the epicentre of the whale experience and some whales remain in Walker Bay the entire year. Listen for the unmistakable sound of the world’s only Whale Crier as he blows his kelp horn when the whales are close.
The Cape Whale Coast is part of the International Group of Hope Spots. World-renowned oceanographer, Dr Sylvia Earle, started the Hope Spot movement to raise public awareness and unite global efforts to protect the sea and all its regal creatures. Hermanus is renowned for some of the best whale-view accommodation in the region and many tourists gather on the elevated clifftop promenade to view whales breaching and tail waving.
A Cape Whale Coast holiday offers a wide range of accommodation deals for families and couples, tourist groups and local friends on a self-drive adventure through South Africa. Check into warm family-run guest houses, five-star boutique hotels, cosy bed and breakfasts and luxury hotels with majestic ocean views. Appreciate beautiful coastal drives, beach and mountain hikes, tranquil sandy bays and exploring blue flag beaches.
Visit the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas and Struisbaai, or the charming fishing village of Arniston with its thatched, white-washed traditional cottages. We recommend a scenic trip to Gansbaai, the Great White Shark capital of the world, so book your shark-cave diving adventure to get as close as you dare to the most-feared ocean predator!
It’s not only whales on the Cape Whale Route but dolphins too! And this world-famous Western Cape tourism route also offers exciting zip lining, quad biking, white water rafting and kloofing quests. Chat to us about your Cape Town to the Garden Route tour and we will add in a whale-watching hotel.
