Bloubergstrand is a west coast holiday destination situated about 20 minutes from the centre of Cape Town. Close to the My citi bus routes you are able to travel into the city from early morning till late at night without having to get into the traffic jams that block road traffic in and out of the area.
Small Bay with its grassed terrace in the background
Bloubergstrand is not very big but has some of the most beautiful beaches in Cape Town. There are two main beaches, one being Big Bay and the other one Small Bay.
Small Bay with its flat waters beautiful sandy beach at low tide
Small bay is situated south of Big Bay and is mainly used as a beach for families with small children. A grassy area has been laid out a couple of metres from the beach and is used for picnics by families coming to enjoy the beach for the day. When the tide is low there is a beautiful sandy beach with safe swimming for children and adults alike. The waves in small bay are not really used for surfing as there is a lot of kelp in the area where they start breaking
The island with its sandbank with the waves breaking over it from two sides
Between Small Bay and Big Bay there is a rocky outcrop called the island which divides the waves breaking onto the beach in the area. What in fact happens is that the waves swirl around the rocky outcrop both from the left and the right and t then crash into each other over a sand bank which becomes dry land at low tide. This sand bank allows people to walk to the island during low tide.
Big Bay residential area and shops
Close to the beach front is the well known Blue Peter Hotel which has been there for many years. It was firstly a shop called the Springbok Bazaar and then became a boarding house. Its name changed to the Blue Peter Hotel in 1949. The hotel has some spectacular views of Table Mountain and of Robben Island. On summer evenings the lawn in front of the hotel is filled with sun worshippers having sundowners and watching the sun set over Table bay and Table mountain. It's a sight to die for.
Old house with Blue Peter Hotel in the background
Big Bay on the northern side of the village has become a lot more commercial these days with its new shops, restaurants and residential properties lining the beach. It is very popular with surfers, wind surfers and kite boarders and stand up boarders as well. The surf sites at Big Bay are rated in the top three in the world when it comes to the kite boards. The wind and the waves can catapult kite boarders high into the air which makes riding the waves spectacular and also good to watch.
Kite boarder in the waves at Big Bay
Surfers come from near and far to test their skills in the waves of Big Bay. The new shops around Big Bay cater to the surfing crowd with all types of surfing equipment for hire or on sale. The restaurants cater for breakfast, lunch and supper and are well patronised. Large supermarket chains such as Pick n Pay also do a roaring trade during the summer months and cater for the needs of the local residents.
The old block house on the beach at Big Bay
Although Bloubergstrand has had a major facelift over the past few years there are still some historical buildings in the village, mostly found around small bay.One of the most well known buildings is most probably the old British blockhouse near Big Bay which has been recently painted to allow it to blend into its new environment. The Blue Peter Hotel has been around since the early 1949 and close by are a number of old houses that have been used as holiday flats since the early 1900's.
Blouberg Hill from where the British launched their attack on Cape Town
The village gets its name from the Blouberg hill situated a few kilometres from the village. It was from this hill in 1806 that the British launched their attack on the Cape Colony and the Dutch after landing their troops at Melkbosstrand. Many lives were lost and many injuries incurred by both sides involved in the war. The British after marching from Blouberg hill around the coast of Table Bay routed the Dutch and took over the city and the province.
Bloubergstrand is well worth a visit if not for its beaches then the spectacular views of the mountain and Robben island.
