Western Cape (Overberg)

Best Time for Hermanus

World's best land-based whale watching, Walker Bay clifftop walks

When to Visit Hermanus

Hiking: All months. Camping: Sep–May. Beach & Swimming: Jan–Apr. Stand-Up Paddleboard: Jan–Feb, Apr. Kayaking: Most months (exc. Jul & Aug). Scuba Diving: Oct–Apr. Snorkelling: Feb. Whale Watching: Aug–Nov. Fishing: Most months (exc. Jul & Aug).

Hiking — Month by Month

Scored on: Dry trails, mild–warm temp, low wind

Best months: All months

Scale:ExcellentGoodFairPoorAvoid· key data point shown per cell

Jan

5/5

Excellent

6.6d rain

Feb

4/5

Good

7.8d rain

Mar

4/5

Good

9d rain

Apr

5/5

Excellent

6d rain

May

4/5

Good

8.8d rain

Jun

4/5

Good

11d rain

Jul

4/5

Good

11.6d rain

Hols

Aug

4/5

Good

10.6d rain

Sep

4/5

Good

9d rain

Oct

4/5

Good

9d rain

Nov

4/5

Good

9.2d rain

Dec

4/5

Good

9.6d rain

Hols

Where to go

Fernkloof Nature Reserve (60+ km trails)
Walker Bay coastal path
Grotto Beach boardwalk

Best Months per Activity

Months scoring 4/5 or higher. Click a row to explore that activity.

Hiking

All months

Camping

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Beach & Swimming

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr

Stand-Up Paddleboard

Jan, Feb, Apr

Kayaking

Most months (exc. Jul & Aug)

Scuba Diving

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Snorkelling

Feb

Whale Watching

Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Fishing

Most months (exc. Jul & Aug)

Monthly Weather Averages

5-year averages 2020–2024 (ERA5); wave height 3-year average 2022–2024 (CMEMS)

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain days	Wind (km/h)	Sea (°C)	Wave (m)	School
January	24.8/17.5	6.6	25.6	20.6	2.4	Term
February	24.7/17.4	7.8	23.9	20.8	2.5	Term
March	23.3/16.2	9	23.5	20.1	2.6	Term
April	20.8/13.5	6	20.5	18.8	2.8	Term
May	19.1/11.5	8.8	19.1	17.9	3.2	Term
June	17.9/10.6	11	20.5	17	3.3	Term
July	15.9/8.6	11.6	21.3	16.3	3.7	Winter break
August	16.2/8.7	10.6	23.3	16.2	3.7	Term
September	17/9.9	9	23.8	16.4	3.3	Term
October	20/12.7	9	23.4	17.2	2.5	Term
November	21.5/14.2	9.2	25	18.5	2.5	Term
December	22.8/15.9	9.6	25.7	19.8	2.6	Summer break

How Scores Are Calculated

Each month receives a score of 1–5 per activity using fixed thresholds on the raw data. No editorial judgement — every score is derived directly from ERA5, NOAA ERSSTv5, and CMEMS figures.

Hiking:Dry trails, mild–warm temp, low wind

Camping:Dry nights, mild temperatures (frost/heat penalty)

Beach & Swimming:Warm air & sea, low wind, low rain

Stand-Up Paddleboard:Light wind <22 km/h, small waves, warm

Kayaking:Manageable wind & swell, dry, mild

Scuba Diving:Calm seas, warm water (visibility & comfort)

Snorkelling:Calm, clear, warm water

Whale Watching:Season: Jun–Nov (SR) / Jul–Nov (Humpback), calm sea

Fishing:Calm seas, manageable wind, cooler water

Data Sources & Attribution

Wind speed, rainfall & air temperature

ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo Archive API. Daily-max 10 m wind speed, total daily precipitation, and 2 m temperature, 2020–2024, averaged to monthly means. License: CC-BY 4.0.

open-meteo.com

Sea surface temperature

NOAA ERSSTv5 (Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature, version 5) accessed via NOAA CoastWatch ERDDAP. Monthly mean SST at nearest 1° grid cell, 2020–2024. NOAA NCEI public domain dataset.

coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap

Significant wave height

CMEMS (Copernicus Marine Service) via Open-Meteo Marine API. Daily-max significant wave height at nearest offshore grid point, 2022–2024 (3-year average; CMEMS model data available from 2022). License: CC-BY 4.0.

marine-api.open-meteo.com

Data last fetched: 2026-06-23

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