Bloubergstrand, Blouberg

Bloubergstrand at a glance

Bloubergstrand is a seaside suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa, along the shores of Table Bay, 15 kilometres north of the city centre of Cape Town. The name Bloubergstrand literally means "blue mountain beach" in Afrikaans, and is derived from Blaauwberg, a nearby hill. Bloubergstrand is mainly a residential area. The beach at Bloubergstrand is a popular location for a classic view of Table Mountain across the bay. Robben Island is located 6.9 kilometres west of the coast of Bloubergstrand.

Sprawled along the coast of Table Bay, Bloubergstrand is an idyllic place for a day out. With water activities such as surfing, kitesurfing and stand up paddling, this seaside town has plenty to keep you entertained on a hot Cape Town summers day. When the kids are off school, finding a way to entertain them can be tricky so we have designed a selection of day-based tourism guides to help you get the low down on all the awesome local hangouts, stuff to do and the best restaurants for every meal.

The sea off Bloubergstrand forms part of the wider Marine Nature Reserve, and thus any kind of species extraction is strictly prohibited. The marine life in Table Bay is a marvel, with whales, dolphins and seals often being seen frolicking in the bay. Believe it or not, killer whales have also been spotted on occasion.

"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 1629 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 Blaauwberg drowned when their boat was driven by the large surf into the rocky point at the end of Stadler road and it capsized. The invading British forces went on to defeat the defending Dutch forces and subsequently occupied the whole of the Cape Colony. This was an initial step in the major colonisation that took place throughout the southern African continent.

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 favourable. 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.

The Bloubergstrand area falls within a marine nature reserve and the extraction of species such as Cape rock lobster and abalone is prohibited. A licence 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.