Area Information - Strand

Locality

Strand is a picturesque coastal town at the foot of the Hottentots Holland Mountains. It is a popular destination during the summertime. With a 5km sandy beach, views, a beachfront entertainment area, and quaint seaside accommodations, Strand offers a holiday that is hard to beat.

Aerial View

Strand was established as a holiday and fishing resort in 1714. Strand forms part of the Helderberg basin, along with Somerset West and Gordon’s Bay, allowing easy access to a number of excellent wine estates.

The main beach, Melkbaai Beach, is known to be one of the safest swimming beaches. The Atlantic Ocean waters are a playground for water sports like surfing, kite surfing, sailing, power boating, paddle skiing, and board sailing. The Pipe is a section of the beach marked off for surfers with fantastic waves for surfing, while the coast between the Lourens River mouth and Rooiels is popular for beach fishing and angling.

The Strand promenade is the place to be during the summertime. It boasts a range of entertainment facilities like putt-putt, a tidal pool, an indoor Olympic sized swimming pool, and various restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. Waterworld Strand is also found along the beachfront and its swimming pools, super tubes, shaded Jacuzzi pool, and coffee shop are hard to turn down.

Strand is a playground for outdoor sports. You will find a golf course, tennis courts, rugby fields, squash clubs, a jukskei facility, and more. Enjoy a range of indoor sports, from cricket and hockey, to netball and soccer at Somerset Action Sport in Die Bos, just 4km away.

Leisure lovers will be in their element in Strand. Play a round of golf at Strand Golf Course, go wine tasting, visit the mosque, go quad biking in Grabouw, learn to surf with Son Surf School, or explore Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary. The coastal road leading to Gordon’s Bay is fantastic for whale watching between June and November. A flea market is held on the beachfront on Sundays, while the Strand Farmers Market is held at the Strand Dutch Reformed Church every Friday, offering a range of plants, clothes, food, and crafts.

Whether you prefer an active or leisurely holiday, Strand is the ideal destination for romantic or family holidays, or getaways with friends.

A Typical View

View from Ocean View

Strand Central

Strand central is the part where Hendrik Louw primary school is located. It consists mainly of old-fashioned and mostly spacious homes on large plots. It is a tree kingdom. There are also some blocks of flats here and there. The NG Church can also be found here. The area extends from the Dorpsmeent  Shopping Centre, with Pick & Pay and other businesses, with houses and apartments in between as far as the Gants industrial area near Somerset West. On the border is another big church and businesses just next to the N2.
 

Strand Beachfront

Fishermen come from surrounding villages and areas to fish here. The quieter part,  where there are still beachfront houses, is popular for fishing because it's not a swimming beach. People enjoy using the long beach at Melkbaai for walking and swimming and also playing soccer or volleyball.

Surfers also enjoy the waves. The Strand is also popular for canoeists and the big races with the rubber motorboats that usually end in the Strand.

The Melkbaai side of Beach Road consists mainly of apartment blocks and restaurants. With the pavement upgraded, the beach's "beach" section is on the same level as Sea Point. This long walkway is great for parents and their children to walk and ride bikes.

Twin Palms

A development in Strand South  that has become very popular. Old and young stay here . In the area is a day hospital, bowling greens and a shopping complex with a lot of shops. It is walking distance from the village and the beach. The police station, retirement village and Altena old-age home are also in the area. The area is neat and the residents maintain their properties  and gardens to make it a beautiful setting. Other popular developments in the same area are Duckpond, Eden, Deiningdal and Keurbos.