This well known seaside suburb is situated along the sandy white shores of Table Bay on the West Coast (- “is best coast”) a mere 15km (9.3mi) from the Mother City, Cape Town in sunny South Africa. The name of this much-loved area derives from Blaauwberg, a nearby hill. Bloubergstrand (Blue Berg Strand) is famous for it’s postcard views of Table Mountain with Cape Town harbor in the forefront. This prized destination is home to holidaymakers both local and abroad who return year on year to soak up the sun at their favorite spots, enjoy kite-surfing at the globally recognized hot spot for kite-surfers, just surf at choice spots from main Kite boarding beach to Big Bay surfers corner or SUP at beautiful Small Bay. Annual happenings such as the cycle tour and marathons attract large numbers of enthusiasts and spectators and many choose Bloubergstrand as their destination of choice.
Local restaurants, hotels and self-catering villas and apartments utilize these opportunities presented. Local favorite restaurants and eateries, rich in history, brimming with ambience and coastal flavors include such as Ons Huisie, The Blue Peter, The Sir David, On The Rocks and last but in no way the least Blowfish at Dolphin Beach all add to the unique experience enjoyed by young and old.
Bloubergstrand is home to a diverse culture of people from all walks of life that enjoy coastal life to the fullest. The booming property market of Cape Town elevated Bloubergstrand to the investment hub of the West Coast, realizing phenomenal growth in all sectors of the real estate market whether apartment style living or beachfront holiday home. Property prices range from mid R700’s on new developments to R20m for beachfront villas.
Come home to elegant stays in typical laid back West Coast style where the people and food are as amazing as the views.
Location map of the Western Cape Equirectangular projection, N/S stretching 118%. Geographic limits of the map: N: 30.25° S S: 35.0° S W: 17.5° E E: 24.5° E
"Harry die Strandloper", or Hadah, was the leader of the Goringhaikonas, who were the first people documented to live in Bloubergstrand. Hadah, whose original name was Autshumao, was taken to Java in 629 by the captain of the ship London to be taught English. Because of his entrusted duties to deliver letters to the British seafaring community, he became the first postmaster in South Africa.
In 1806, the first casualties of the Battle of Blouberg drowned when the large surf drove their boat into the rocky point at the end of Stadler road and it capsized.
Previously a National Monument, now a Provincial Heritage Site, "Ons Huisie" (literally translated to Our Small Home) has a long and colorful history in the development of Bloubergstrand. It was the first dwelling of Frederick Louis Stadler. (Hence Stadler Road is the original street). Shortly after the Battle of Blouberg in 1806, he became owner of almost all the farm property that is now known as Bloubergstrand. The exact building date is not known, but a Thomas Bowler made a beautiful pencil drawing of the house in 1853. Hendrik Louis Stadler, the sixth son of Frederick Louis, was the owner of "Ons Huisie" at that time. His sons, Frikkie, Rozier and Johannes, were some of the original founders of Bloubergstrand. The building is now a restaurant.
From the 1940s a well-known writer of illustrated Afrikaans children's books, Helena 'Mollie' Lochner, lived at the end of Stadler Road in "Die Groot Withuis" or the Lochner House, on the southernmost tip of the promontory. Her ashes are buried under the front step of the house. When she died "Mollie Lochner Huis" was bequeathed to the South African Teachers Union as a holiday home for female teachers but because of the high maintenance cost they had to dispose of it. Over the years it was changed beyond recognition, ultimately demolished in 2004 and a contemporary West Coast styled guesthouse was developed.
The large wooden cross out on the promontory rocks was erected in memory of Heather Bam who lived in the same house before Mollie and who drowned off the point in 1911.
Local licensed fishermen still use a small local design of rowing boat to put their nets out in Small Bay for mullet when the temperature and other conditions are favorable. They retrieve their nets manually, after which the fortunate locals buy this delicacy directly from them.
A traditional way of cooking the “harders” or mullets after cleaning them at the water's edge with the seabirds enjoying a free meal, is to make a wood fire, put much salt on the external skin and then to “braai” or grill to taste. The mullet has quite a few small bones and needs to be carefully digested together with freshly baked bread or pap from maize, enhanced with a regional traditional jam. Sometimes another local delicacy, “braaibrood”, replaces the freshly baked bread. “Blouberg Braaibrood” consists of two slices of white, whole wheat or brown bread, on the outside, barbecued with onion, a chutney, tomato and cheese on the inside.
Streetnames in the Village of Bloubergstrand, since the early days, bear the names of well-known people i.e. General Sir David Baird, General Jansens, Commodore Sir Popham, General Ferguson and locals such as the family Stadler.
The Bloubergstrand area falls within a marine nature reserve and the extraction of species such as Cape rock lobster and abalone is prohibited. A license is required in order to catch previously well-known local varieties of galjoen and Hottentot. Seafood is popular in the area, and includes the local white mussels. In season southern right whales, occasionally killer whales, humpback dolphins, Haviside's dolphin and Cape fur seals are commonly seen in the bay. The great white shark is also known to live off the coast.
Bloubergstrand has a long white sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, with a few rocky outcrops where black mussels are found. The water is cold due to the Benguela current but the beach is popular with kitesurfers and windsurfers. The bay on the west side of Bloubergstrand, known as 'Big Bay' has become a very popular windsurfing and kitesurfing spot due to the constant trade winds bringing a 1–3 m surf for a majority of the year. Big Bay beach is also well known for the ease with which white mussels (a species of the genus Donax) can be extracted from the sand by a process locally known as 'jiving'.
Credits
Information: Courtesy of the Internet/Wikipedia
Photographs: Courtesy of the Internet/Wikipedia