That spirit of renewal, relaxation and recuperation persists at The Marine Hotel, which evolved from the original sanatoria established here for well-to-do urban refugees. Today, many more luxuries – including a pampering spa and chef Oelof Vorster’s meticulous menus – add to that allure. And as much as Hermanus is evolving and keeping pace with the times, when you cross the threshold into this grande dame of the South African hospitality scene, there’s that rare sensation of stepping ever so slightly back in time, returning to a more gracious era.
It’s the effortless pampering, the generous proportions of the guest rooms, the sink-in comfort of its lounges, the lingering old-school fabulousness of its conservatory spaces where bright sunlight filters through huge glass windows framing those wide-open skies, rugged cliffs and wild sea. There are few finer places to take in the sunset, watch the sky melting into the sea, perhaps holding your breath at the sight of a breaching whale adding rapture and drama to a perfectly exquisite scene outside.
Hermanus is Africa’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, and you can set off on a three-hour on-foot food safari with Eat Like a Local to discover some of the town’s culinary hidden gems. Or, if it’s a wine safari you’re keen on, the nearby Hemel-en-Aarde Valley – where viticulture and biodiversity harmoniously co-exist – is a rapturously gorgeous place to taste some of the world’s finest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as part of a rewarding cellar-to-cellar adventure.
