Places to Visit in Somerset West, South Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in Somerset West, South Africa, Africa

Somerset West is a town belonging to the Western Cape province of South Africa, covering a total area of 61.37 sq. km. Administratively, Somerset West comes under the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, is located around 50 km east of the heart of the city of Cape Town, one of the three capitals of South Africa, others being Pretoria and Bloemfontein.

Helderberg is a mountain overlooking the town of Somerset West. Somerset West is mainly famous as natural tourist destination, especially noted for the Helderberg Nature Reserve, which is home to many typical indigenous floral species including proteas and fynbos. The town is situated between 34°05′ S latitude and 18°51′ E longitude.

History of Somerset West:

Somerset West originated as a cattle post, founded by the Dutch soldiers in 1672, but it was founded as a town in 1822 and was named after Lord Charles Henry Somerset, an English governor of the Cape Colony in the early 19^th century.

How to get Somerset West?

Somerset West is catered by the Cape Town International Airport with scheduled flights from London, Singapore, Istanbul, Durban, Johannesburg, Mauritius and many other African and European cities. The airport is situated around 30 km northwest of the centre of Somerset West.

Due to its position within Cape Town, Somerset West is connected by both train and bus to all the major cities in the country. The local transportation of Somerset West is catered by buses, taxis and rental vehicles like cars and bikes.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Somerset West:

Somerset West is the home town of many famous artists, including composer, Chris McGregor and musician, De-Wet Nagel.

Shops are dozens in number in Somerset West and some nice food corners in Somerset West include:

Cattle Baron Steak Ranch
Blue Waters Seafood & Sushi
96 Winery Road

Things to do in Somerset West:

Golfing
Visiting wine estates
Day tours

What to see in Somerset West?

Helderberg Nature Reserve:

Opened in 1964, the Helderberg Nature Reserve occupies an area of 363 hectare, his home to a substantial number of animals, including buck and tortoises. Protea and fynbos are the main indigenous floral species found in the reserve.

Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum:

The Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum is situated in Lwandle, around 6 km south of Somerset West. It describes the history of the migrated Black people to Lwandle during the apartheid period, with artifacts dating from that time. It was established in 2000.

Vergelegen:

Being the oldest surviving wine yard of South Africa, Vergelegen is one of the identities of Somerset West. Originally established in 1700, Vergelegen is located on the outskirts of Somerset West and visitors can taste and purchase wine there.

Monkeytown Primate Sanctuary:

Located on Mondeor Road, the Monkeytown Primate Sanctuary is one of the very interesting places in Somerset West, where visitors can see and interact with more than 230 primates.

Golf clubs in Somerset West:

Blessed with rich and dense natural landscape, Somerset West hosts two well equipped golf courses, Somerset West Golf Club and Erinvale Golf Club, of which both are allowed for visitors to play.

List of other places of interest in and around Somerset West includes:

Lourensford Wine Estate
Morgenster Estate
Blue Rock Adventure Park
Flagstone Winery
Avontuur Wine Estate
Cape Town City Hall
The Castle of Good Hope
District Six Museum
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
South African Parliament Building
Two Oceans Aquarium
Groot Constantia
South African National Gallery
South African Jewish Museum

When to visit Somerset West?

Somerset West is a year round destination and the tour of Somerset West can be enjoyed best between October and May.

Where to stay in Somerset West?

There are plenty of upgraded hotels in Somerset West, offering amazing hospitality services with the blend of modern and traditional facilities and services, serving visitors wholeheartedly. The major hotels in Somerset West are as follows: