MY FEATURED LISTINGS
| Somerset West |
Arts & Crafts
Somerset West is famous for its two craft markets, held in the
Southey’s Vines grounds in Main Street on Saturday mornings.
The Country Craft Market is well known world-wide for its many
handcrafted items. The stalls are all manned by the crafters
themselves. Equally interesting is the Helderberg Veldwinkel which
in the summer months also holds evening markets.
Christmas Lights
Somerset West is also renowned, for the beautiful Christmas lights
erected during the festive season.
People come from far and wide to admire the Christmas lights that
transform Somerset West’s Main Street into a dazzling spectacle
every December. The Helderberg Lights Festival traditionally
surrounds the switching on of the lights. Main Street is closed off
and stalls are lined up under the lights.
Helderberg Nature Reserve
The Helderberg Nature Reserve is one of Somerset West’s
treasures.
It starts at the foothills of the Helderberg Mountain and reaches up
to the mountainside where hardy fynbos cling to the steep slopes.
Birds are abundant in the reserve (some 160 species). Sseveral
species of small antelope (Grey Duiker, Grysbok, Steenbok and
Bontebok) are also found in the reserve. There are several walks in
the reserve, graded from a gentle amble through the lower reaches
to longer routes for the more energetic.
Blue Rock Cable Waterski
The first cable water-ski of its kind in the Western
Cape promises to be fun for the whole family.
An overhead cable system with an electric motor
is used to pull skiers around the lake.
Completely user friendly and safe.
Monkey Town
A primate centre with chimpanzees and exotic monkeys totaling
more than 24 species. On offer are guided tours, feeding time
talks, animal interaction, a children’s touch farmyard, a jungle gym,
koi pond, macaws and parrots. There is also a restaurant on site.
Wine
In as much as the Helderberg Wine Route, which starts in Somerset
West shares many attributes associated with Stellenbosch and its
wine growing region, it also has so much more that sets it apart.
The personalities of the wines produced in the Somerset West area
are influenced by the proximity to the ocean and the cooling
summer sea breezes. Somerset West is home to Vergelegen, one
of the Cape’s oldest landmarks and is a must for every visitor. The
wine routes of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl are all
picturesque trips, and within easy reach.
Whales
Between June and December each year, hundreds of Southern
Right whales visit the sheltered, shallow bays of the South African
coastline to calve and nurture their offspring. Official viewing points
have been established - just look for the Whale Route signposts on
Clarence Drive, the coastal road leading south from Gordon's Bay.
If you follow the Beach Road through Gordon's Bay past the
harbour, you get on to one of the most beautiful coastal drives in
the world. The R44 towards Kleinmond and Hermanus winds along
a breathtakingly steep coastline. Whales can often be watched
here during the season.
Golf
Somerset West boasts two championship Golf Courses, one of
which hosted the 1996 World Cup. (Erinvale) And then, there are
another two courses within a ten minute drive from the Town.
Arabella is 40 minutes drive and there are numerous courses 30
minutes away, in Cape Town.
Climate
Somerset West area enjoys a mild Mediterranean type of climate.
Summer is dry and hot, with cooling sea breezes. February to April
is early autumn with mild balmy days and warm evenings, an ideal
time for visitors wishing to explore the Western Cape region.
Somerset West is famous for its two craft markets, held in the
Southey’s Vines grounds in Main Street on Saturday mornings.
The Country Craft Market is well known world-wide for its many
handcrafted items. The stalls are all manned by the crafters
themselves. Equally interesting is the Helderberg Veldwinkel which
in the summer months also holds evening markets.
Christmas Lights
Somerset West is also renowned, for the beautiful Christmas lights
erected during the festive season.
People come from far and wide to admire the Christmas lights that
transform Somerset West’s Main Street into a dazzling spectacle
every December. The Helderberg Lights Festival traditionally
surrounds the switching on of the lights. Main Street is closed off
and stalls are lined up under the lights.
Helderberg Nature Reserve
The Helderberg Nature Reserve is one of Somerset West’s
treasures.
It starts at the foothills of the Helderberg Mountain and reaches up
to the mountainside where hardy fynbos cling to the steep slopes.
Birds are abundant in the reserve (some 160 species). Sseveral
species of small antelope (Grey Duiker, Grysbok, Steenbok and
Bontebok) are also found in the reserve. There are several walks in
the reserve, graded from a gentle amble through the lower reaches
to longer routes for the more energetic.
Blue Rock Cable Waterski
The first cable water-ski of its kind in the Western
Cape promises to be fun for the whole family.
An overhead cable system with an electric motor
is used to pull skiers around the lake.
Completely user friendly and safe.
Monkey Town
A primate centre with chimpanzees and exotic monkeys totaling
more than 24 species. On offer are guided tours, feeding time
talks, animal interaction, a children’s touch farmyard, a jungle gym,
koi pond, macaws and parrots. There is also a restaurant on site.
Wine
In as much as the Helderberg Wine Route, which starts in Somerset
West shares many attributes associated with Stellenbosch and its
wine growing region, it also has so much more that sets it apart.
The personalities of the wines produced in the Somerset West area
are influenced by the proximity to the ocean and the cooling
summer sea breezes. Somerset West is home to Vergelegen, one
of the Cape’s oldest landmarks and is a must for every visitor. The
wine routes of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl are all
picturesque trips, and within easy reach.
Whales
Between June and December each year, hundreds of Southern
Right whales visit the sheltered, shallow bays of the South African
coastline to calve and nurture their offspring. Official viewing points
have been established - just look for the Whale Route signposts on
Clarence Drive, the coastal road leading south from Gordon's Bay.
If you follow the Beach Road through Gordon's Bay past the
harbour, you get on to one of the most beautiful coastal drives in
the world. The R44 towards Kleinmond and Hermanus winds along
a breathtakingly steep coastline. Whales can often be watched
here during the season.
Golf
Somerset West boasts two championship Golf Courses, one of
which hosted the 1996 World Cup. (Erinvale) And then, there are
another two courses within a ten minute drive from the Town.
Arabella is 40 minutes drive and there are numerous courses 30
minutes away, in Cape Town.
Climate
Somerset West area enjoys a mild Mediterranean type of climate.
Summer is dry and hot, with cooling sea breezes. February to April
is early autumn with mild balmy days and warm evenings, an ideal
time for visitors wishing to explore the Western Cape region.
Somerset West is one of the very few
towns in the world that is blessed with
the best of everything.
Majestic Mountains, Picturesque
Vineyards, and some of the best
shopping and restaurants in the Cape.
towns in the world that is blessed with
the best of everything.
Majestic Mountains, Picturesque
Vineyards, and some of the best
shopping and restaurants in the Cape.
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| Price per night guide: Bronze (R500-R2000) Silver (R2000-R4000) Gold (R4000-R6000) Platinum (R6000+) |
Lying on the slopes of the Helderberg and dominated by
vineyards and the craggy folds of the beautiful
Helderberg mountains, the town is 6km inland from the
False Bay coast and the resort towns of Strand and
Gordons Bay. It is 10 min from Stellenbosch and its wine
route, a mere 35 minutes' drive to Paarl, Wellington and
Franschhoek, 30 min from Cape Town and forms an
integral part of the Winelands Region. The entire region
is renowned for its scenic beauty, flora and fauna, wine
and fruit, excellent cuisine, friendly hospitality and
historical heritage. The newly extended Somerset Mall is
a shopper’s paradise, with every conceivable shop,
restaurant as well as a new entertainment centre with 10
brand new cinemas.
vineyards and the craggy folds of the beautiful
Helderberg mountains, the town is 6km inland from the
False Bay coast and the resort towns of Strand and
Gordons Bay. It is 10 min from Stellenbosch and its wine
route, a mere 35 minutes' drive to Paarl, Wellington and
Franschhoek, 30 min from Cape Town and forms an
integral part of the Winelands Region. The entire region
is renowned for its scenic beauty, flora and fauna, wine
and fruit, excellent cuisine, friendly hospitality and
historical heritage. The newly extended Somerset Mall is
a shopper’s paradise, with every conceivable shop,
restaurant as well as a new entertainment centre with 10
brand new cinemas.
