Before I tell you that, let me give a bit of history
about this beautiful place.
Strand was established as a fishing and holiday
resort in 1714. As an Estate Agent it is amazing to find some of these
stunning old heritage houses which can be viewed on an old aerial photograph by
the municipality. It was the first aerial photograph of the area which was
taken in 1953. I unfortunately don’t have a copy of it but I do have some old
pictures of Strand which I will share here.
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Strand Pavillion 1953 |
Strand falls under the City of Cape Town
municipality. Somerset West, Gordon’s Bay and Strand have experienced such wonderful growth over the past two decades, so much so that they are almost one and are collectively known as the Helderberg. Strand is situated on the N2 and only about
40 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. This seaside resort is on the edge of False
Bay and at the foot of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains. It has the most
beautiful sunrises and sunsets. When the sun sticks its golden head over the
mountains to greet us and start our day and when it goes down into False Bay
giving us those bright orange and red colours in the evening sky which reflect
off the waters of False Bay to bid us good night. That’s when you look across the Bay and see the
silhouette of Cape Point all the way across to Muizenburg.
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Melkbaai |
Tourism has been a major source of local income
since 1950 when Strand became popular with visitors from other provinces.
The main beach is sheltered and so makes it warmer than most other beaches outside of
False Bay. Also known as Melkbaai (Milk Bay) it is one of the safest in the country.
There are great facilities nearby this beach, Waterworld which has a super tube
and mini-golf (or as I know it, Putt Putt). Water sports can be done from
different points along the beachfront.
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Melkbaai looking to Gordon's Bay in about 1916 |
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Melkbaai looking to Gordon's Bay 2016 |
Strand is at the heart of the Helderberg Basin
with easy access to most wine routes, Somerset Mall and the absolutely
stunning coastal drive past Gordon’s Bay to Hermanus, which is about 50
minutes’ away. There are various viewing points for easy access during the whale watching
season. Fishing and diving excursions can still be arranged along this stretch of coast.
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Strand Golf Club 2016 |
Strand
accommodates most requirements with three caravan parks and camping sites,
numerous bed and breakfast facilities, timeshare and hotel on the beachfront.
For those of you with discerning palates there are a wide variety of quality
restaurants as well as the great family restaurants we all know.
Okay, let
me tell you what its like to live here. Living here is all about the people, the fresh air, the beach and
the mountains. Now that the municipality has upgraded the board walk along the
5 km white beachfront, people spend a lot of time walking, running and cycling.
As a local I find my jog along the beachfront in the morning a fantastic way to
start my day. The laid-back lifestyle has made it a very popular market for
holiday rentals and second homes. There is also a very large stable community
of permanent residents of which I am one. What makes it so great for me to live
here is that it still has that small-town feeling which I love. In the morning
when I take my two-minute walk from our apartment on Beach Road to our office,
which is also in Beach Road (Yes, Yes, I know I’m lucky) it takes me 10 minutes
because my neighbours stop me along the way to have a chat.
The fynbos
trails in the mountains offer fantastic hiking trails and mountain biking
trails. The Helderberg Nature reserve has beautiful bird watching opportunities
and the most beautiful Proteas and fynbos.
I have also seen
younger people buying up the older houses which are about two or three streets
away from Beach Road and renovating them. So, there is a feeling of rejuvenation.
I must say if you compare prices of properties in Strand to other beachfront
resort towns around the country there are great opportunities and you do get
value for money.
If you have any property related questions do not hesitate to ask below, if I don't know I will find out for you.