The magnificent Hermanus cliff path that takes you on an wonderfully scenic 12 km long walk along the town’s incredible coast line is of course more than beautiful enough, and yet somehow someone decided that in order to make it even more interesting (and sometimes equally bewildering) one needs to take it a step further and dot a variety of eye catching sculptures from a host of well known South African sculptors around Gearing’s Point.

Sculpture on the Cliffs is the brain child of the people behind the hugely successful FynArts art festival and gallery, and has been on the go since about 2013. A broad range of prominent South African sculptors get invited to produce a sculpture for each year’s theme, and which once selected and produced, is installed along the cliff path for everyone to see. The sculptures are of course a great advertisement for the artists (all are available for purchase), and serve to inject some art into the lives of both the locals and never ending flow of tourists alike.

Celebrating diversity, inclusivity and the belief that objects, places and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence, this year’s theme has been ‘Vertical Animal’, encompassing the defense of the rights of all life forms and serves to inspire us to think visually and to reconsider our relationship with our environment. (Honestly, as a non artistic soul, I don’t quite get that from the installation, but do however love the actual art itself!)

When tagalong friend Cara, the girls and I visited the eerily quiet Hermanus back at the start of this year, we got to see some wonderfully whimsical works by the likes of David Griessel, Guy du Toit, Jaco Sieberhagen, Jake Michael Singer, Karin lijnes, Kevin Brand, Jean Theron Louw, Nanette Ranger, and one of my local favourites, Angus Taylor. (Yeah, trying to explain some of these to the kids certainly was quite entertaining!)

But of course, if all of this isn’t quite your cup of tea, then there is as always the plentiful seagulls, dassies, views and vibe to enjoy instead!

Mind you, this little stroll along the Cliff Path wasn’t the only thing that we got up to on the day. Indeed, we walked up Hoy’s Koppie, we watched fishermen at the New Harbour, we added to a cairn above the Rotary Way Lookout Point, we ate KFC at Voelklip Beach, licked soft serve ice cream in Kleinmond and even played Pirate Adventure Golf at Benguela Cove! No wonder then that the girls slept so soundly on the eventual drive back home!

Related Link: FynArts Sculpture on the Cliffs | FynArts Festival | Hermanus