Bloubergrant, Blaauwberg

Very easily, and obviously, confused with Bloubergstrand just north of it, the suburb of Bloubergrant lies north west of Cape Town, virtually opposite Robben Island (although visits to the island are from the Waterfront, not from this side of the island) and just south of the start of the beautiful West Coast of the Cape.

This part of Cape Town is a hive of modern upmarket beach condos, many of which have access directly to the white, sandy beaches that have become the playground of kite-surfers, windsurfers, wave surfers and sun worshippers; never mind the incredible and much marketed views of Table Mountain. You are a mere 15 minute drive from the centre of Cape Town and the V&A Waterfront, and 10 minutes’ away from Canal Walk shopping centre, renowned for its sheer size and entertainment value.

Locally there are many restaurants, shopping centres and golf courses to keep you well stocked and entertained, and there is little need to leave this enclave unless sight-seeing and experiencing other parts of Cape Town are on your itinerary list.

More importantly, Bloubergrant is the perfect springboard from which to explore the West Coast along the R27. Wine routes include the Swartland wine route and the Olifants River wine route, and many of the towns dotted in and around the R27 and N7 provide wine tasting - Malmesbury, Riebeek Kasteel, Citrusdal, Picketberg, Vredendal and Klawer, to name a few. The rest of the West Coast offers beautiful unspoilt beaches, some truly magnificent mountain ranges and a wealth of wild flowers in spring.