Onrus was an artists' village once and is now a residential place with holiday houses, a surf beach with lifeguards in summer, and the lagoon of the Onrus River. The lagoon is shallow, warm in summer, and the spot where children take pedalos out while their parents sit in the café on the beach. Onrus Beach has held Blue Flag pilot status since the 2025/26 season (as of August 2026). Between the houses stands a wood of milkwood trees, old and protected, with paths running through it.
- west of the Old Harbour
- 8 km
- shallow, warm, good for children
- lagoon
- pilot status 2025/26 (as of August 2026)
- Blue Flag
- at the Vermont salt pan
- flamingos
Vermont, just beyond it, has the salt pan: a shallow water where flamingos, spoonbills and ducks stand depending on the level, with a loop path and a hide. The coast between Vermont and Onrus is rocky, with a path along the top from which you see the whales in winter exactly as you would in Hermanus, only without the tour buses.
- Time needed
- half a day
- Cost
- free
- When
- all year, the lagoon in summer
- From Hermanus
- 8 km, 10 minutes
Our tipBreakfast at the café by the Onrus lagoon, then cut through the milkwood wood and walk on to the salt pan. Take binoculars.
Onrus and Vermont: common questions
Is the lagoon at Onrus good for children?
Yes. It is shallow, warm in summer and out of the wind, with pedalos and a café on the beach. Onrus Beach next to it has lifeguards in summer and has held Blue Flag pilot status since the 2025/26 season (as of August 2026).
Where can you see flamingos near Hermanus?
At the Vermont salt pan, just beyond Onrus: a shallow water with a loop path and a hide, where flamingos, spoonbills and ducks stand depending on the level. Take binoculars.