3 Best Hotels in Hermanus, The Western Cape and Winelands

If you want to be in the center of the village, this stylish guesthouse puts you a stone's throw from the famous whale-watching cliffs. There's a tree-shaded garden and a pretty pool in the courtyard. The rooms are comfortably decorated in French provincial style. Larger rooms with sleeper sofas are great for families or friends traveling together. Ask for a room with a balcony overlooking the bay or a suite that opens onto the pool.

On the banks of the Klein River, Blue Gum is a wonderful place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of Hermanus. The rooms are individually decorated in a style that's part English country house, part colonial outpost. Mosquito nets, crisp white linens, and handsome wood will make you feel a little like a 21st-century Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame. It's a lovely family-run place with an emphasis on escaping the bustle of city life.

Everyone who walks past this boutique hotel looks on enviously at the location; it sits on Harbour Road, affording marvelous views over False Bay, particularly from the pool. There are bright, airy rooms in the Manor House, one of which comes with a wood-fired hot tub on the deck. The new wing has studios with kitchenettes and balconies.