La Fontaine is a luxury guesthouse in Hermanus, offering many of the comforts and services travellers look for in a boutique hotel, combined with the character and personal hospitality of a guesthouse.
Guests can enjoy beautifully designed rooms and suites, breakfast overlooking Walker Bay, two heated swimming pools, complimentary private parking and a central location within walking distance of restaurants, cafés, galleries and the Hermanus coastline.
La Fontaine offers a collection of luxury rooms and suites across La Fontaine Guesthouse and La Fontaine Lodge in Hermanus.
Choose from beautiful sea-facing rooms and suites overlooking Walker Bay, comfortable garden rooms and spacious accommodation for couples and families. Breakfast and complimentary Wi-Fi are included with every stay.
La Fontaine Guesthouse and La Fontaine Lodge offer two distinctive ways to experience La Fontaine, both combining character, comfort and thoughtful hospitality in the heart of Hermanus.
La Fontaine Guesthouse is set within one of Hermanus’ historic buildings and enjoys a remarkable position overlooking Walker Bay. La Fontaine Lodge, opened in 2024, offers a contemporary interpretation of relaxed luxury within a beautifully restored heritage house.
Guests staying at either property can enjoy the La Fontaine experience and shared facilities.
Yes. Selected rooms and suites at La Fontaine offer beautiful sea views across Walker Bay.
If waking up to an ocean view is important to you, we recommend choosing one of our sea-facing room or suite categories when making your reservation.
Yes. A freshly prepared breakfast is included with your stay at La Fontaine.
Breakfast can be enjoyed overlooking Walker Bay, making it a wonderful way to start your morning in Hermanus. During whale season, you may even be lucky enough to spot whales passing through the bay while you eat.
Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.
Yes. La Fontaine is an ideal choice for couples looking for a relaxing stay in Hermanus, with elegant rooms and suites, ocean views, two heated swimming pools and the restaurants, cafés and coastline of central Hermanus within easy walking distance.
In-room massages and private yoga sessions can also be arranged on request.
Yes. Children of all ages are welcome at La Fontaine, and selected rooms and suites are suitable for families.
For guests travelling with babies and young children, we can provide practical essentials such as a baby cot and high chair on request, helping to make your family stay in Hermanus as comfortable and easy as possible.
Children aged 13 years and older are considered adults for booking purposes. We recommend checking the individual room descriptions or contacting us to find the most suitable accommodation for your family.
Check-in is from 14:00 (2 PM) and check-out is by 11:00 AM.
If you have specific arrival requirements, please contact us before your stay and our team will be happy to assist wherever possible.
No. La Fontaine operates a non-smoking policy inside La Fontaine Guesthouse, La Fontaine Lodge and all guest rooms. Electronic cigarettes and vaping are also not permitted indoors.
Yes. Guests staying at La Fontaine can enjoy complimentary secure on-site parking for the duration of their stay.
This is especially convenient if you are exploring Hermanus and the Western Cape by car. With many of Hermanus’ restaurants, cafés, galleries, shops and the Cliff Path within easy walking distance, you can safely leave your car at La Fontaine while exploring the town on foot.
La Fontaine is located at 33 Marine Drive in central Hermanus, overlooking Walker Bay on the Western Cape coast of South Africa.
The Hermanus Cliff Path, restaurants, cafés, galleries and shops are all within easy walking distance, making La Fontaine an excellent base for exploring the town.
Yes. One of the advantages of staying at La Fontaine is its central location. Many of Hermanus’ restaurants, cafés, shops and art galleries are just a short walk away.
You can enjoy an evening in town, have dinner and a glass of local wine, and simply walk back to La Fontaine afterwards, no need to take the car.
Not necessarily. La Fontaine’s location makes it easy to experience much of central Hermanus on foot, including restaurants, cafés, galleries, shops, the coastline and the famous Cliff Path.
A car is useful if you would like to explore further afield, such as the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Fernkloof Nature Reserve, surrounding beaches and other destinations in the Western Cape.
La Fontaine is located close to the famous Hermanus Cliff Path, giving guests easy access to one of the town’s most beautiful coastal walks.
The path follows the coastline around Walker Bay and offers spectacular ocean views, with several excellent land-based whale-watching viewpoints along the way.
Hermanus is approximately 90 minutes by car from Cape Town, depending on traffic and your starting point.
The journey takes you from Cape Town into the Overberg region of the Western Cape, making Hermanus an easy addition to a South African itinerary or road trip.
Cape Town International Airport is approximately 1.5 hours by car from La Fontaine, depending on traffic and the route taken.
Hermanus is therefore easily accessible after arriving in Cape Town and is a popular stop for travellers exploring the Western Cape.
Yes. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, just outside Hermanus, is renowned for its beautiful scenery, exceptional cool-climate wines and some of the Western Cape’s most celebrated wine estates.
One of the most enjoyable ways to explore the valley is with the Hermanus Wine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off safari-style service that takes you between wine estates, allowing you to enjoy the tastings without having to drive yourself.
Our team at La Fontaine will be happy to arrange and book the Wine Hopper for you. If you prefer a more private and flexible experience, we can also arrange a private taxi or driver to take you from wine estate to wine estate at your own pace.
Simply let us know what kind of wine experience you have in mind, and we will be happy to help organise your day in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
The main whale-watching season in Hermanus generally runs from June to November, when Southern Right Whales visit the waters of Walker Bay to mate, calve and raise their young.
Sightings vary throughout the season and are always dependent on nature, but the winter and spring months offer wonderful opportunities to see whales along the Hermanus coastline.
Whales can be seen throughout the season from June to November, with September and October traditionally among the peak months for whale watching in Hermanus.
Every season is different, however, and sightings can never be guaranteed. Our team is always happy to share the latest local information during your stay.
Yes, during whale season, you may be lucky enough to see Southern Right Whales passing through Walker Bay from La Fontaine itself.
Guests can keep an eye on the bay from our sea-facing terrace and pool area, and selected rooms and suites also offer beautiful views across the water.
Yes. Hermanus is internationally known for its excellent land-based whale watching, which means you do not necessarily need to take a boat trip to see whales.
The coastline around Walker Bay offers numerous viewpoints, and the famous Hermanus Cliff Path provides wonderful opportunities to walk along the coast while looking out for whales.
For whale watching, staying close to the coastline and the Hermanus Cliff Path makes it easy to enjoy the experience on foot.
La Fontaine is located on Marine Drive overlooking Walker Bay, close to the Cliff Path and land-based whale-watching viewpoints. During whale season, guests may even be fortunate enough to spot whales from La Fontaine’s sea-facing terrace, pool area or selected rooms and suites.
No. One of the things that makes Hermanus so special is the opportunity to see whales from land.
A boat-based whale-watching trip can offer a completely different perspective and is a wonderful addition to your stay, but you can also look for whales from the Cliff Path and other coastal viewpoints around Walker Bay.
Our team at La Fontaine can help you arrange and book a whale-watching excursion during your stay.
The whale most closely associated with Hermanus is the Southern Right Whale. Each year, they migrate to the sheltered waters of Walker Bay to mate, calve and nurse their young, making Hermanus one of South Africa’s best-known whale-watching destinations.
You may also encounter Humpback Whales, which pass along the South African coastline during their seasonal migration, as well as Bryde’s Whales, which can be seen in the region throughout the year.
Southern Right Whales are generally the stars of the Hermanus whale-watching season, while sightings of Humpback and Bryde’s Whales add even more variety to the marine life of Walker Bay.
Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals and a wide variety of seabirds are also regularly seen in the area and, on rare occasions, other marine visitors may appear as well.
Yes. Our team will be happy to help arrange a whale-watching experience in Hermanus during your stay.
Whether you would like to explore the coastline from land or join a boat-based whale-watching excursion, simply speak to us and we can help you find and book an experience that suits your plans.
Hermanus is widely regarded as one of the best whale-watching destinations in South Africa and is particularly famous for its exceptional land-based whale watching.
What makes Hermanus so special is that you do not always need to take a boat trip to experience the whales. During whale season, Southern Right Whales come into the sheltered waters of Walker Bay, where they can often be spotted from viewpoints along the coastline and the famous Hermanus Cliff Path.
For an even closer experience, boat-based whale-watching trips also depart from Hermanus, giving visitors the opportunity to experience Walker Bay from the water.
For travellers planning a South African itinerary around whales, ocean scenery and nature, Hermanus is a destination well worth staying a few days to experience.
Yes. La Fontaine Guesthouse and La Fontaine Lodge are equipped with solar power and backup energy systems, helping us provide reliable electricity when the national grid is affected by load shedding or other power outages.
Our aim is to minimise disruption so that guests can continue to enjoy a comfortable stay in Hermanus, even when there are interruptions to the local electricity supply.
Load shedding is the term used in South Africa for planned electricity interruptions that may be introduced when there is not enough capacity available on the national electricity grid.
For international travellers, this can sometimes be unexpected. At La Fontaine, we have invested in solar power and backup energy to minimise the impact of electricity interruptions during your stay.
Yes. Solar energy is an important part of our approach to more responsible hospitality.
Our solar system allows us to make use of South Africa’s abundant sunshine, helping to reduce our reliance on grid electricity and lower the environmental impact of our daily operations. At the same time, solar energy provides greater energy reliability for our guests.
We believe that luxury and more responsible travel can go hand in hand. Our use of solar energy helps reduce our reliance on conventional grid electricity while providing greater energy resilience for the property.
Sustainability for us is about making thoughtful, practical choices that reduce our impact without compromising the comfort and experience of our guests.
Hermanus is a coastal town in the Western Cape of South Africa, about 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. It’s known for its scenic beauty, whale watching, and charming village atmosphere.
Hermanus is world-renowned for its land-based whale watching, especially Southern Right Whales. It also offers wine estates, hiking trails, art galleries, and coastal beauty — making it a must-visit stop on the Garden Route.
The best time is from June to November for whale watching. For warmer weather, beach visits and hiking, the summer months (December–March) are ideal.
Yes, Hermanus is considered one of the safer tourist towns in South Africa. As with any travel destination, it’s best to take standard precautions, especially at night.
Top attractions include:
– Whale watching from the Cliff Path
– Visiting Fernkloof Nature Reserve
– Exploring the Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley
– Shopping at local markets and art galleries
– Taking boat trips and enjoying seaside dining
Absolutely! Hermanus is a perfect stop along the Garden Route. It offers a relaxing coastal atmosphere between Cape Town and destinations like Mossel Bay, Knysna, and Oudtshoorn.
Yes, Hermanus has several beautiful beaches, including Grotto Beach (Blue Flag certified), Voëlklip, and Kammabaai – ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and surfing.