Hermanus, South Africa

There is still the barest trace of a once-quiet cliff-edge fishing village around the historic harbour and in some understated seaside cottages, but for the most part HERMANUS has gorged itself on its whale-generated income that has produced modern shopping malls, supermarkets and craft shops. From about July, southern right whales start appearing in the warmer sheltered bays of the Western Cape, and the town trumpets itself as the whale capital of South Africa. To prove it, an official whale crier (purportedly the world's only one) struts around armed with a mobile phone and a dried kelp horn through which he yells the latest sightings. The hype aside, Walker Bay does provide some of the finest shore-based whale-watching in the world and, even if there are better spots nearby, Hermanus is the best geared-up place in the country to exploit it. Hermanus also has good swimming and walking beaches, opportunities for activities and makes a good base for exploring the rest of the Overberg.