One of Our Favourite Things About Living in Somerset West? The Beach All Year Round
It may be winter, but Strand Beach is always busy.
It may be winter, but Strand Beach is always busy.
One of the things I’ve happily become accustomed to since moving to Somerset West is that a beach day isn’t reserved for summer.
Some of our favourite outings to Strand Beach have happened in the middle of winter, wearing exactly the same shorts and beachwear we’d wear in January. On warmer winter days, we’ve even gone for a swim.
Coming from somewhere where beach trips felt like something to plan for, that’s still something I don’t take for granted.
Cape Town’s Atlantic coastline is undeniably beautiful. Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno offer some of the most iconic coastal views in the country, and they’re places we’ll happily visit to admire the scenery.
But living in the Helderberg has shown us a different side of coastal life.
Here, the beach isn’t simply something you look at from a scenic viewpoint. It’s somewhere you actually spend time.
You swim. You walk barefoot along the shoreline. You let the kids play in the sand. You stop for an ice cream. You watch the mountains meeting the ocean while simply enjoying the moment.
It’s a beach that’s made to be experienced, not just photographed.
For many people, the beach is something that appears on a holiday checklist every December. For us, it’s become part of ordinary life.
Most weekends, if the weather is good, there’s a good chance we’ll end up at Strand Beach for a few hours. Sometimes we’re building sandcastles. Sometimes our son spends most of his time chasing waves instead. Sometimes we simply sit back and enjoy the view while he burns off enough energy to skip his afternoon nap.
It no longer feels like an outing. It simply feels normal.
We usually head to the beach during the morning, somewhere between 9 am and midday. It’s our favourite time to go. Occasionally, after dropping our son at school, we’ll take an early morning walk along the beachfront instead.
One evening, while driving along Beach Road at around 9 pm, we noticed something that made us smile. The beach was still full of life.
People were sitting on camping chairs facing the ocean, couples were walking along the shoreline, and others were simply standing quietly, watching the moonlight reflect across the water.
Of course, this is South Africa, and it’s always important to be mindful of safety, stay aware of your surroundings and make sensible decisions about where and when you go.
Even so, it was lovely to see people enjoying Strand Beach long after the sun had gone down.
One thing continues to amaze us about Strand Beach. It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s January or June. Whether the wind is barely noticeable or blowing much stronger. Whether it’s early in the morning, lunchtime or later in the evening. There are almost always people there.
Some are swimming. Some are walking. Some are sitting quietly with a coffee. Others are simply watching the waves.
Perhaps that’s what living in Somerset West has taught us. The beach isn’t just somewhere you visit during the festive season. It’s part of everyday life in the Helderberg.
And that’s become one of our favourite things about calling Somerset West home.
I’m a wife, mother and local publisher who traded Johannesburg and two years abroad for life in Somerset West. Through HelderbergStuff, I share lifestyle stories, local discoveries and noteworthy developments across Somerset West, Strand and Gordon’s Bay. For media and collaboration enquiries: marina@helderbergstuff.co.za
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