Each September, southern right whales return to Walker Bay in their hundreds — close enough to watch from the cliffs, no boat required.
Hermanus is one of the few places on earth where whales can be reliably watched from land, the animals breaching within sight of the town's clifftop path. The festival marks their return with markets and music, but the whales are the event: an hour and a half east of Cape Town, and worth every minute of the drive.
We can plan the day around the best viewing times, with a driver and a table booked for lunch overlooking the bay.