Tranquil Onrus Beach

Onrus Village nestles between the sandy swimming beach, the mountain and the lagoon; Onrus is a cool green haven with the necessary shops, medicals, great restaurants, art galleries, weekend getaway from Cape Town, wine producing Hemel & Aarde Valley. It mainly attracts newly retired people; easy flat walks along the coast line, tidal pools, benches here & there where one can ponder on memories or watch the Southern Right whales that come to visit us annually June - October. Bird watchers' delight, 16 South African species are endemic to this region with stacks of kelp lining the water edge and thickets of fynbos for them to feed on. The African Black Oystercatcher is on the red list for endangered species - they too love Onrus!

Vermont – means "Green Mountain" named after the American state with the same name.

Vermont borders onto Onrus on the Western side. A fairly new suburb which was well planned, mainly built up by now, bordering "green Belts" to maintain the tranquility, fynbos and birdlife. The coastal path stretches along the coastline from Onrus, and then becomes what is known as Vermont Trail, to the sand dunes at Brekvis (Breakfast) Bay which borders the Hoek van de Berg Nature Reserve.

On the edge of Vermont Salt Pan there are lovely homes overlooking the vast salt pan of water and abundant bird life -large flocks of flamingoes come to breed here - a spectacular show of pink wings and legs against the backdrop of the mountain.

Sandbaai Beach

Lies to the east of Onrus, also on the coast. It is one of the newest suburbs in the area, tucked in just before you reach the outskirt of Hermanus. There is a pretty even mix of holiday homes, permanent residences and lock up and go security complexes. Most of the roads are still gravel which gives it the real country feeling. Sandbaai beach is dotted with rock pools and coves, popular snorkeling spots.

The Hemel-en-Aarde Craft Village is situated between Onrus and Sandbaai and has a variety of shops - farm stalls with delectable home-made items, top quality restaurants, ceramic studios, galleries, Beach House furniture, jewelers, wineries, nurseries and much more. It is the first stop on the 10 km Hermanus Wine Wander up the serene Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Easy access to golf courses; Arabella, Hermanus, Kleinmond and Caledon. Hiking / Walking trails, bird watching, cycling, fishing, crayfishing (in season with necessary permits), whale watching - June – November, horse riding, fynbos, art galleries, surfing and swimming.

Hemel & Aarde Craft Village

Whale Watching


Golfing

Annual Festivals:	"Kalfiefees" - held in August, is a unique festival of local South African artists. The Vis Bash is a seafood cooking competition held in May in the Onrus Caravan Park.
Wine Route:	Onrus - a mere 5 minutes drive to the start of the Heme! & Aarde Wine Valley.
Birding:	If lucky, 50 different true South African bird species can be spotted in Onrus. Of the 15 endemic species in South Africa, 12 can be spotted in the region.
Whale watching:	Boat trips leave from Hermanus Harbour, a 5 min drive away. The Southern Right Whales come to our coast June - November.
Seals, Shark Cage Diving and Dolphins:	Pleasure cruises to sea leaving Kleinbaai Harbour.