Blaauwberg is the gateway to the West
Coast and is famous as the area with the
picture postcard view of Table Mountain.
With a long rich history, Blaauwberg is
recognised as the fastest growing
municipal area in South Africa,
expanding daily at a tremendous pace.
Blaauwberg is close to the beaches and
offers the world famous views of one of
the natural wonders of South Africa,
Table Mountain. A solid infrastructure
and excellent facilities will ensure
that any visitor to this special area of
South Africa will have an unforgettable,
memorable experience.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Blaauwberg area is +/- 15 km from
Cape Town, in a northerly direction
(West Coast). It is about 20 minutes by
road from Cape Town International
Airport and is conveniently situated to
the main arterial roads, the N1, N2 and
N7.
BEACHES
Blaauwberg has a number of superb
beaches, such as:-
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Bloubergstrand (A variety of
bays and beaches, with
spectacular
Table Mountain views are
found in this area. Surfing,
swimming, windsurfing,
sunbathing. Manned by life
savers. Big Bay stands out as a
surfer's paradise hosting
several national and
international surfing and
windsurfing competitions. Little
Bay is suitable for sunbathers
and families. Eerste Steen,
Tweede Steen and Derde Steen are
off Otto Du Plessis drive and
offer fishing and picnic
facilities).
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Dolphin Beach (Ideal for
swimming, sunbathing and lazy
walks. Whales are often spotted
off the Coast. There are
adequate basic facilities,
benches, grassed areas, footways
and kite flying over weekends.)
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Melkbosstrand (Named after the
Milkwood trees to the north of
the town, these sandy beaches
are excellent for fishing and
skin diving. There are
spectacular views, picnic and
recreation areas, toilet
facilities and shops and
restaurants along each Road).
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Milnerton Beach (Views of
Table Mountain, swimming,
surfing, beach walks and a
famous lighthouse. Manned by
lifesavers)
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Silwerstroomstrand (Off the R"7,
near Atlantis, this beach offers
barbecue and picnic facilities,
swimming, sunbathing and a tidal
pool. It is ideal for day
camping).
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Lagoon Mouth (A popular site for
paddle skiing, this beach is
formed from the lagoon water
flowing out to sea and waves
washing inshore).
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Sunset Beach (Ideal for
sunbathing, windsurfing).
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Table View (Swimming,
sunbathing, windsurfing, kite
flying, activities over
weekends. There is also a rubber
duck launching site here. The
beach near the Blaauwberg
Tourism Office has become a
haven for kite surfers. On
weekends and holidays, there are
many crafters and food stalls to
browse through).
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Canoeing, power boating and
water skiing facilities are
available at the Milnerton
Aquatic Club.
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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Blaauwberg has a number of exciting
tourist attractions to offer. These
include:
1.) MUSEUMS
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South African Air Force Museum -
Situated at Ysterplaat airbase,
this collection of military
aircraft, uniforms, memorabilia
and a history of aviation is a
must for any flying/military
enthusiast
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Robben Island Museum - Situated
off the coast of Blaauwberg,
Robben Island gained fame as the
island containing the prison
where Dr. Nelson Mandela and
other political prisoners were
incarcerated. There are superb
tours of the island available
(by ferry from the V&A
Waterfront) and is truly an
essential tour for all tourists
in Blaauwberg to undertake. It
was initially used by the Dutch
East India Company as a
refreshment station. In 1819 it
was used as an asylum for the
mentally disturbed and in 1845
as a leper colony. In 1960, the
Department of Correctional
Services took control and it is
most well known for its
detention of President Mandela.
Now a Historical Monument
featuring places of interest
like the Lighthouse, Leper
Cemetery, Rectory, Anglican
Church, Stone Quarry, Residency,
Primary School and Church for
male lepers. The Island can be
viewed from all beaches in the
Blaauwberg area.
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2.) ECO-TOURISM
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Rietvlei Nature Reserve -
One of the largest inland
wetlands in Southern Africa,
this reserve boasts more than
112 bird species, including many
rare and endangered species.
Bird hides offer the bird
watcher excellent views of the
birds.
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Paarden Eiland Wetlands -
These wetlands perform a vital
role in the successful migration
of bird species. There are
currently 125 bird species in
the Wetlands, many of them rare.
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SANCCOB - The South African
National Council for the
Conservation of Sea Birds. This
facility is dedicated to the
treatment and rehabilitation of
injured and oil stained sea
birds. Visitors can be trained
and volunteer to assist in the
feeding of the birds.
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Whale watching - The Blaauwberg
coastline is often an excellent
venue for whale watching and
dolphin spotting, forming part
of the Cape Whale Route. The
Southern Right Whale is the most
common species seen. For up to
the minute information on whale
activity, call the MTN Whale
Route info centre on 083 910
1028
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Koeberg Nature Reserve -
Proclaimed a nature reserve in
1991 and covering more than 3000
hectares, this nature reserve
near the Koeberg Nuclear Power
Station offers great hiking
trails and varied fauna and
flora. Well worth a visit.
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Flower blooms - During the
spring months, the northern
reaches of Blaauwberg provide a
wonderful spectacle of nature -
thousands of hectares of wild,
colourful blooming flowers. For
up to the minute information on
the flower situation, call +27
21 46 4260 or MTN Flowerline at
082 910 1028.
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Intaka Island - Century City's
award winning wetlands and one
of Cape Town's newest tourist
attractions The Eastern 8
hectares of the island provide a
haven for two threatened habitat
types: the seasonal salt pans
and sand Plain Fynbos. In the
Western 8 hectares, the wetlands
area, there are footpaths
forming a trail of about 1 km.
Numerous species of birds can be
seen.
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3.) SHOPPING CENTRES AND
ENTERTAINMENT
4.) HISTORICAL
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Shipwrecks - A number of
shipwrecks lie off the
Blaauwberg coast, mainly from
days gone by. These include the
Reygersdal wreck at
Silverstroomstrand, the SS
Hermes wreck, wrecked on
Milnerton Beach - north of the
lighthouse - on 12th May 1901,
Nieuw Haarlem, near the
Milnerton lighthouse, Dutch
Oosterland Vessel shipwreck, the
Winton, near Milnerton and the
Commandor shipwreck, both found
near Milnerton lagoon. Further
information on shipwrecks can be
found at the Maritime Museum,
Tel. +27 21 419 2505.
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Milnerton Lighthouse - The
lighthouse is situated at
Milnerton Beach and was built as
a beacon for ships entering Cape
Town harbour. Established in
1960, it has 800 000
candlepower. A plaque
commemorating the stranding of
the Nieuw Haarlem has been
erected at the lighthouse.
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Janssen's Town Hall - One of
the oldest structures in
Milnerton and Blaauwberg, the
hall was built as a tea bungalow
and was later used as a casino.
It was located at the end of the
railway line from Cape Town and
served as the refreshment stop
for the horse fraternity on an
outing to the races at Ascot
Turf Club, in days gone by. It
is still in active use today for
various functions.
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Zonnekus House - Built in
1929, this was the seaside
residence of Sir De Villiers
Graaff. It has been perfectly
restored and can be viewed from
Milnerton Beach.
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Kleine Zoar Farmhouse - The
original residence of Wolraad
Woltemade has been restored and
is being used a private
residence.
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Mamre Moravian Mission Station -
Situated in Mamre, this area has
a rich historical heritage,
dating back to the 1800's. There
are a number of historical
buildings here in Mamre, and
this area is well worth
visiting.
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Old Wooden Bridge - This
historical bridge was initially
built during the Anglo-Boer war
in 1899, and served as a
military access road across the
lagoon to the island. It is
still in use today, as a
footbridge. A new modern,
concrete bridge has been built
for vehicular and foot traffic.
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Post Office Stone - The oldest
known relic of the Portuguese in
South Africa can be found at the
South African Museum and a
replica can be found at the
Blaauwberg Tourism Office. After
the two Padraos (memorial
crosses) erected by Bartolomeu
Dias at Luderitz and Kwaaihoek
in 1488, this is a replica of
the oldest known relic of the
Portuguese in South Africa,
which was the earliest inscribed
stone in south Africa and the
first known to have been made of
local stone, Malmesbury shale.
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Milnerton Railway Station - A
commemorative plaque was erected
to mark the site of the
Milnerton Railway Station on the
site opposite the Palm Site in
Milnerton. The station started
operating on Boxing Day 1903 and
its contribution to the growth
of the area was huge.
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Old Spring - On the banks of
Rietvlei, near SANCCOB, is the
site of the old spring, used as
the waterhole for the livestock
of Simon van der Stel's
"Veepos". It can be viewed.
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Paarlberg Stone - The Paarlberg
Stone, in honour of the
Afrikaanse Taal Monument, was
unveiled in Milnerton on 14
August 1975 and can be viewed at
the municipal offices in Pienaar
Road, Milnerton.
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5.) OTHER ATTRACTIONS
TOUR OPERATORS
A number of world class tour operators
have bases in the Blaauwberg area. They
generally specialise in local tours, be
they one day or overnight. However, a
number of these tour guides will take
you on extended overnight trips, be they
regional or national. Explore the
wonders of Blaauwberg, the Western Cape
and South Africa with SATOUR registered
guides in air conditioned comfort, with
expertly trained guides who will make
sure your tour has been a memorable one.
TRAVEL AGENTS
A number of top class professional
travel agents operate from the
Blaauwberg area, providing foreign
exchange services, flights,
accommodation and various tourist
related services.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Blaauwberg is plentiful
and the area offers a range of
accommodation to suit your needs. Many
establishments also offer excellent
conference facilities for the business
traveller. Choose from Hotels,
self-catering apartments, bed and
breakfasts, guest houses and camping and
caravanning sites. All are with easy
access to the main routes into the City,
the wine lands and the fascinating West
Coast. There is definitely a place to
suit every taste and budget.
Spread along an endless beachfront, or
in the middle of buzzing shopping and
entertainment areas, you can choose
where to stay in Blaauwberg. Milnerton
lies closest to the City and the
Waterfront, with many properties close
to the lagoon and the golf course. Most
accommodation is to be found around
Table View, with many places close to
the beach and local shopping centres. A
number of smaller suburbs, including
Bloubergrand, West Beach and Blouberg
Sands, lie just north of Table View
along the coast. A little further north
is Bloubergstrand, which originated as a
fishing village and holiday resort for
farmers living inland, and is still
popular with holidaymakers today. For
accommodation a little further outside
of town, with tranquil beaches and
unspoilt stretches of Fynbos, try
Melkbosstrand or Duynefontein.
RESTAURANTS
The Blaauwberg area has a wealth of fine
restaurants and take-away
establishments, covering all tastes. In
the restaurant section, there are
excellent establishments, ranging from
Steakhouses, Italian, Mexican, Indian,
Chinese, Seafood, plus many more, many
of which are situated within a stones
throw from the beaches. All the major
take-away chains are situated throughout
Blaauwberg, offering affordable meals to
all. A fine range of pubs can be found
in Blaauwberg as well as some exciting
nightspots, mainly in the Table View
area.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES
The Blaauwberg area offers foreign
tourists the exciting opportunity of
real value for money. The South African
Rand can be bought at a major discount
to all major currencies.
Visit
http://www.scmb.co.za for the latest
currency exchange rates.
PRICES OF LOCAL GOODS
The following basic table will give the
foreign tourist a quick idea of the
value for money that can be had when
visiting Blaauwberg.
Loaf of bread +/-
R3.00
Litre of petrol +/- R3.77
A beer in a pub +/- R6.00
Pack of 20 cigarettes +/- R10.00
Top class bottle of wine +/- R40.00
A top class restaurant meal +/- R150.00
per head
BANKING AND FINANCIAL FACILITIES
South Africa has a very advanced banking
system, including widespread, advanced
electronic banking facilities and
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). All
the major South African banks are
situated throughout the Blaauwberg area,
with most of them offering convenient
foreign exchange facilities. Banks
operate weekdays 09H00 - 15H30 and
Saturdays 08H30 - 11H00. Western Union
Money Transfer offices are situated in
the Cape area.
Major credit cards accepted in
Blaauwberg are: MasterCard, Visa,
American Express and Diners Club.
International credit cards and debit
cards (Maestro, Electron) are accepted
by automatic teller machines.
TAX REFUNDS
Value Added Tax (VAT) of 14% is levied
on virtually all purchases and services.
Foreign visitors to Blaauwberg can
reclaim VAT on purchases on purchases of
over R250.
COMMUNICATIONS
National code for Blaauwberg 021
International code for Blaauwberg + 27
21
South Africa has a number of cell
phone/mobile phone operators. These
networks operate on the GSM system (Vodacom,
MTN, Cell C). Your foreign phone might
be compatible with our cellular
networks. Please check with your local
service provider. Otherwise, mobile
phones can be hired from many
establishments, especially at the
airports.
Public call boxes are
situated all over the Blaauwberg area,
accepting both coins and phone cards.
The blue phones work on coins, whilst
the green phones work on local Telkom
phone cards, which you can purchase in
various denominations from many shops
and Post Offices.
A number of Internet cafes will
ensure that you can conveniently send
and receive e-mail messages
.There are a number of Post Offices
in Blaauwberg, offering full postal
services. There are also private PostNet
postal offices in Blaauwberg. The
Blaauwberg Tourism Office also offers
one of the fastest postage services in
town with its own postage stamp, so make
sure you visit the office on Marine
Drive and mail your postcards there.
SPORTING FACILITIES
The Blaauwberg area has a wealth of
sporting facilities for you to choose
from, including golf, water sports,
tennis, bowls, squash, plus many more.
There is a top class VirginActive gym in
Table View. Golf courses include
Milnerton golf course, a seaside links
course and Atlantic Beach Golf club,
situated on Atlantic Beach Estate in
Melkbosstrand.
THEATRE
Milnerton Playhouse Theatre is an
amateur dramatic which runs the Civic
Theatre in Milnerton. Producing about 5
amateur productions per year, the
society has been the recipient of many
theatre critics' annual awards. The
shows are excellent and it is prudent to
book for shows beforehand.
SHOPPING FACILITIES
Blaauwberg offers the tourist a wealth
of exciting shopping opportunities. In
Milnerton itself, visit Centre Point
Shopping centre. In Table View, visit
Bayside Centre and Pick 'n Pay Mall. For
the ultimate shopping experience, you
just have to visit Canal Walk, Africa's
largest shopping and entertainment
complex.
THE SILVER SCREEN
The latest movie releases can be seen at
Ster Kinekor at Bayside Shopping Centre
in Table View and Nu Metro at Canal Walk
in Century City.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Blaauwberg and the rest of Cape Town do
not have an "underground/metro"
transport structure. The public
transport in the area consists mainly of
busses and taxis. Shuttle services to
and from the airport and major tourist
attractions are available from most
hotels and accommodation establishments.
The local bus service, Golden Arrow can
be contacted at +27 801 212 111 for bus
timetables and information.
CAR HIRE
Most of the well-known international car
hire companies operate from the
Blaauwberg area or have depots in the
area. There are also some local car hire
companies offering good rates and
excellent service.
MEDICAL FACILITIES
Blaauwberg has a wide variety of day
hospitals and clinics and boasts a
world-class modern hospital at Medi-Clinic
Milnerton, including a trauma centre and
a host of medical specialists. Medi-Cross
Clinic in Table View also has excellent
doctor facilities.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Blaauwberg area has a fine record
for safety and security. There are many
excellent police stations in Blaauwberg,
as well as well represented private
security firms, all on duty 24 hours a
day. The local phone number for any
emergencies is 107. All tourists are
obviously asked to display common sense
when visiting Blaauwberg or any other
destination, such as being conscious of
their possessions, not walking around
alone at night and not display valuables
and money openly.
RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS
Most of the popular churches and
religious denominations are in the
Blaauwberg area, ensuring that the
spiritual needs of all tourists are
taken care of.
SERVICE CLUBS
Most international service clubs are
situated in the Blaauwberg area,
ensuring that any visiting members of
foreign clubs can "make-up" at a local
club of their choice.