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Strand

 
 
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Strand is a very popular holiday destination close to Cape Town. It has one of the longest beaches in the Cape Town area and even after dark you find many people still walking on the beach.

Strand always had a strong Afrikaans community but these days you also find all cultures and languages living in the area. Although a very popular holiday destination the Strand is so close to Cape Town many people live here and work in Cape Town and surrounding areas. Many new residential complexes and flats were build in the strand area over the last decade. Many high rise residential flats also appeared over a short period along beach road area. Property prices and rentals in the Strand can also be less expensive than the rest of Cape Town. The Strand is still an area to look at for a bargain property investment.

In the strand you can still experience a small town feel with relative safety but close enough to the winelands, Cape Town and other Western Cape tourist attractions.

 

 

 
   

Strand History and Information

Strand is a seaside town and forms part of the Helderberg basin together with Somerset West and Gordon’s Bay.  The big attraction is of course a 5 km long beach with beautiful white sand and safe beaches.  During summer these beach are packed and visitors from all over that flock to the Strand area.

The Strand area was first mentioned in 1696 when a certain corporal Muller working for the Dutch East Indian Company set foot on the white beaches of Milk Bay.  In 1714 a farm called Vlooibaai was granted to a French Huguenot David du Buisson.  David du Buisson at a certain stage was a tutor for the children of Pierre Joubert in the Drakenstein (Close to Paarl) area. David du Buisson married the 17 year old Claudine Lombard in 1707. The farm Vlooibaai stretched from the Lourens river to the Farm Onverwach that belonged to Phillip Morkel.  In 1717 David Buisson and his family were attached by fugitive slaves but escaped with their lives.  When David du Buisson died in 1722 the farm were transferred to his widow.  In 1748 the farm was sold to Olof de Wet. Later the farm Vlooibaai was also bought by the Morkel family and the Morkel family owned three farms Vlooibaai, Onverwacht and Voorberg.  These farms probably formed the biggest part of what is today known as the Strand.

For many years the village that developed in this area was called Mosterd’s Bay and it was only later named as Strand.  It is uncertain where the name Mosterd’s Bay came from.  Today only the beach to the left of the Old Pavilion is called Mosterd Bay.  The Beach area to the left of the Lourens River mouth is still called Milk Bay. (Afrikaans Melkbaai)

Mosterd Bay
Photo taken at Mosterd Bay beach Strand.

The Strand from the earliest days was well known as a fishing area and the abundance of fish.  Stellenbosch was supplied with fish from the Strand on a daily basis.  A group of Malay fisherman also settled in the then Mosterd’s Bay area.  At one stage fisher boats were manned by freed slaves that were referred to as people of colour.  These fishermen supplied farms with fresh fish and used a fish-horn to announce their arrival.  Farmers started to use the Stand area for camping in tents during summer holidays and the Strand was birthed over time as we know it today.

In 1904 the first wooden pavilion was build in the area that is known as the Old Pavilion.  The Surfside restaurant and the Pavilion RCI Holiday resort are currently situated in this area just next to the Jetty.

The Strand area were later called Somerset Strand but in 1937 was renamed to just Strand.  During the Apartheid years the Strand was well known for Whites Only signs all along the beach.  Today Strand has people living in the area from all cultures and the white beaches are popular as ever.  Fishermen still use boats to fish and tourist and locals can still buy fish in the area next to the Old Jetty.

Milk Bay or Melkbaai beach is still very safe and popular and in summer people still walk along the beach late at night.  The super tube and mini-golf area still popular after many years and Harmony Park has a huge tidal pool that is very popular among locals.  Surfing is very popular and especially when conditions and waves are great surfers can be seen most of the time.  Knee-boarding is also currently popular and the white beaches are ideal for sunbathing or just enjoying the beach and sea.  The opportunity to get surfing lessons are also available.  Just looks for a sign that say something like Surf School close to the super tubes.  The Strand beaches are cleaned on a daily base by workers and a project has been approved to improve the Strand beach area, flea market and sea wall. 

Strand Today
Strand 'Melkbaai' as it looks today.

Shopping opportunities include the Central Business District as well as the Dorpsmeent Centre that has now been renamed to Strand Mall.  There is also an OK and newly build SPAR on Gordon’s Bay way towards Gordon’s Bay.  Friedman and Cohen is also been part of the Strand for many years and you can buy from clothing to something for the kitchen or house.  Somerset Mall is also close to the Strand and the Gants Centre is known as one of the industrial and business areas.

Many new property development happened in the Strand area over the last few decades.  The beachfront changed also a lot with many new high-rise luxury flats that have been developed.

 
Strand Attractions
Strand Pavilion Strand Pavilion Resort
The Strand Pavilion is the perfect treasure for your family holiday or just a romantic break. They have 1, 2 and 3 bed roomed units, all fitted with sleeper couches which can accommodate 2 extra children under 8 years of age. The units are fully self-catering with all the convenience of a home away from home, with microwaves, stoves with ovens, family sized refrigerators, all linen and towels and kitchenware included.
Strand Pavillion Resort
Strand Accommodation
  Ocean View Hotel
The Ocean View Hotel is situated on the Strand Beachfront right by the sea, the Ocean View Hotel is one of the most ideally located hotels in the Western Cape. With views of the majestic False Bay coastline, mighty mountain ranges including the Helderberg Mountains as well as our world renowned Table Mountain, this hotel offers captivating scenery, gastronomy and courtesy of staff fit for royalty.
Ocean View Hotel
Strand Other
Distrikspos DistrictMail DistrictMail - Distrikpos
The DistrictMail or Afrikaans 'Distrikspos' is a local newspaper that covers news in the whole of the Helderberg area. The DistrictMail is a printed newspaper that has been part of the Helderberg as long as we can remember. The Paper is currently owned by Media24 and gives relevant local news for locals and visitors to the Helderberg area. The DistrictMail can also be accesed on the Internet by clicking the link below.
DistrictMail - Distrikpos

Helderberg Strand and Table Mountain ViewHelderberg Strand and Table Mountain View
Strand Jetty and BeachStrand beach
Strand Beach ViewStrand beach
Strand Sunset over False BayStrand Sunset over False Bay
Cape Town strand sunsetCape Town Strand Sunset over False Bay
Strnd beach clockParaglider

 

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