Somerset West

By car

From Cape Town, follow the N2 east and take exit 43 (R44 Somerset West/Strand/Stellenbosch).
From Stellenbosch, follow the R44 south.

By train

Metrorail runs relatively frequent trains, about once per hour, from Cape Town via its Northern line. The closet station to the city centre is but for visitors to the beachfront, alighting at the terminus is a better option. Journey time from central Cape Town is a bit over one hour.

By air

Commercial flights to Cape Town International airport, about 30 minutes from somerset west by car. There is no scheduled public surface transport on this route, but there are taxi shuttle services at about R300.
By light aircraft to Stellenbosch airfield, about 20 minutes from Somerset West, on the outskirts of Stellenbosch.

There is no public transport to speak of other than minibus taxis. Most of the town is amenable to cycling, but you need your own bicycle, and there isn't really anywhere to go in the urban area.

Go wild

• Helderberg Nature Reserve

  phone: +27 21 851-4060

• Monkeytown Primate Sanctuary

  phone: +27 21 858-1060
  address: Mondeor Rd
  More than 230 primates have found a home here

Golf

• Erinvale Golf Club

  phone: +27 21 847-1144

• Somerset West Golf Club

  phone: +27 21 852-2925

Scuba diving

There are a lot of dive sites within day-tripping distance on the Cape Peninsula and False Bay coasts. Dive shops and charter boat operators in the Strand and Gordon's Bay on the east side of False Bay are the nearest, and operate mostly from Gordon's Bay to Rooi-els.

Wine related

• Lourensford

  phone: +27 21 847-2200
  address: Lourensford Rd

• Vergelegen Wine Estate

  phone: +27 21 847-1334
  address: Lourensford Rd

• Morgenster Estate

  phone: +27 21 852-1738
  address: Vergelegen Ave

Events

Somerset Mall is the biggest shopping area of the district. Most classes of consumer goods are available within easy walking distance of the large parking area, at the cost of probably higher prices than in the older commercial area of Somerset West, where parking is more of a problem. It is a large covered mall with restaurants, supermarkets and the full catastrophe of boutiques for fashionware, sports equipment, computer and communications hardware, etc.
In the central commercial part of Somerset west there are also an adequate range of similar outlets, but spread over a larger area.
One of the more convenient, with its own parking area and a small cluster of shops, is Lion's Square. The anchor tenant is the Lion's Square Spar supermarket, which is a relatively small, but upmarket supermarket with in-house bakery, delicatessen and coffee shop. The same building houses a restaurant, IT shop, laundry, pharmacy, and a few clothing boutiques.

• Craig's Casual Eatery

  phone: +27 21 851-3443
  address: 171 Main Rd

• 96 Winery Road

  phone: +27 21 842-2020
  address: 96 Winery Rd

• Blue Waters Seafood & Sushi

  phone: +27 21 852-8012
  address: 5 Lourensford Rd

• Cattle Baron Steak Ranch

  phone: +27 21 852-9992
  address: 9 Huising St

• Willowbrook Lodge

  phone: +27 21 851-3759
  address: Morgenster Ave
  Very peaceful hotel-guest house set in own garden near the Helderberg nature reserve. D'vine restaurant offers very good dining.

Mid-range

• Berrydel Gourment Guest House

  phone: +27 21 852-5967
  address: 28 Berrydel Ave

• Albourne Guest House

  phone: +27 21 852-2184
  address: 61 Lourensford Rd
  Owners can speak English, German, Dutch, French and Spanish.

• Somerton Manor

  phone: +27 21 851-4682
  address: 13 Somerset Street, Bridgewater

• Easy Five

  phone: +27 21 852-2413
  address: 56 Parel Vallei Rd

Splurge

• The Lord Charles

  address: Corner Faure & Stellenbosch Roads
  An upmarket hotel in its own grounds on the edge of town. Boasts Nelson Mandela as a past guest. Caters mainly to tour groups, conferences and airline staff. Well-run hotel with comfortable rooms. Buffet dinners best avoided. It's in an area with beautiful surroundings, this 4-star hotel offers meeting rooms, a fitness centre and some fantastic views.

The urban areas of Somerset West and Strand are contiguous, and there is often confusion as to where the boundary lies. For most practical purposes this is only important when using the telephone directory, as some subscribers are listed in the wrong area. If in doubt, try both.

There is not a great deal for the visitor to do in Somerset West except eat, sleep and generally reside. Social activities tend to centre on a few sports and home-based entertainment. For other activities the inhabitants generally go somewhere else.

• Cape Town is near enough for a night out. The N2 is congested during rush hour, and should be avoided between about 6AM and 9AM on weekdays westbound, and between 3:30PM and 5:30PM eastbound, but is generally OK at other times and over weekends.
• There are good beaches at Gordon's Bay and Strand, and good Scuba diving in Gordon's Bay, Rooi-els and the Cape Peninsula
• Boat rides and boat charters at Gordon's Bay, the Waterfront in Cape Town and Hout Bay
• Stellenbosch has some cultural attractions, and is about 20 minutes away off peak hours by the R44
• There is a public swimming pool in Strand