Macassar, Cape Helderberg
Lying on the wind-blown rugged coastal road that takes one from Cape Town to Somerset West the long way - along the coast - is the beach of Macassar, more or less across the road from the Helderberg suburb of Macassar on the Cape Flats.
The beach, which lies on the eastern side of False Bay, has virtually no protection from the Cape Peninsula. Waves break directly on to the sand, which means they're big and particularly popular with wind and kite surfers. On the right days, when the weather is good, there are few places to equal the beach's beauty - particularly during the week, when only fishermen mar the impressive landscape.
Macassar's history is closely tied to the Strand as it is from here that its first inhabitants came. The kramat (shrine) of Sheik Yussaf of Bantam, in Macassar, is one of the South African Muslim community's holiest places. The Sheik, who was exiled by the Dutch in 1694, made Macassar his final resting place although his followers, who were mainly fishermen, found the sea off Macassar rather uninviting and moved further along the coast to Strand's Mosterds Bay.
The Macassar Dunes Nature Reserve, in Baden Powell Drive, forms part of the vital coastal dune system, one of the biodiversity hotspots of the Western Cape. These dunes have been under enormous threat from conflicting activities, including cattle grazing and 4X4 vehicle use.
But tensions between conservation and development are being tackled and work within local communities has created various projects, such as an annual weedbuster day, where primary school children learn about alien invasive plants, water conservation and fynbos and come to appreciate the natural resource right on their doorstep.
Travellers' Reviews
2 Reviews from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.
Verified review
Macassar in Cape Town must be visited, It has an NGO's ,e.g. The Macassar Environmental & Nature Conservation Society & Coastal Forum est.2002 who are making adifference in Peoples' lives thro' variuos educational and environmental projects. Internet Cafe'Macassar Online;Shop-Rite shopping center; Small shopping centers;sports fields; Music School-Sound od Music;Cultural Marching bands and many hip-hop and spiritual dance groups;Many Churches & two Mosques serving Christian and Malay Communities. God public transport system and Somerset-West Shopping Mall;Small Businesses.High SCHOOLS AND Primary schools;Holiday resort.
cedric wayne hendricks (cape town)
Verified review
Macassar in Cape Town must be visited, It has an NGO's ,e.g. The Macassar Environmental & Nature Conservation Society & Coastal Forum est.2002 who are making adifference in Peoples' lives thro' variuos educational and environmental projects. Internet Cafe'Macassar Online;Shop-Rite shopping center; Small shopping centers;sports fields; Music School-Sound od Music;Cultural Marching bands and many hip-hop and spiritual dance groups;Many Churches & two Mosques serving Christian and Malay Communities. God public transport system and Somerset-West Shopping Mall;Small Businesses.High SCHOOLS AND Primary schools;Holiday resort.
cedric wayne hendricks (cape town)
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Le Bay Lodge
Situated in the heart of Gordon's Bay old village, Le Bay Lodge is just 60m from the beach, restaurants, pubs and all amenities. The guesthouse h...
La Felicita Helderberg
La Felicita Helderberg is a self catering apartment at La Felicita – in the middle of wine and golf country, and close to cosmopolitan Cape Town....
40 Winks Accommodation
Offering self catering accommodation, 40 Winks is located in the beautiful town of Somerset West in the Western Cape. All accommodation has a pri...
Wavecrest Premier @ 185 On Beach
Wavecrest Premier is a self catering, air conditioned holiday apartment for two guests. Watch waves roll by and the romantic moonlight and the li...
Capelands Resort
Capelands Resort offers luxury accommodation on Sir Lowry's Pass in Somerset West. At Capelands Resort you will find a communal sauna, a garden a...
Skyfall 201
Skyfall 201 is a modern studio apartment offering Cape Town self catering within the Paardevlei Estate. Somerset and Sanctuary Shopping Malls are...
Casa Ilanga Guesthouse
Casa Ilanga Guesthouse has five individually decorated rooms that are all accessible by wheelchair and they have also been tastefully transformed...
Boardwalk Accommodation
Boardwalk Accommodation offers a choice of either single bedroom apartments that sleep four people, or a three-bedroom apartment that sleeps six....
Beachwood Cottage
Beachwood Cottage is a luxurious, upmarket, self-catering holiday house with some views of False Bay and the Hottentots Holland mountains. Magnif...
Things to do in the area
Sheikh Yusuf Kramat
Sheikh Yusuf Kramat is a sacred shrine visited by many Muslim people. A Kramat or shrine is where the holy men of Islam or ‘Auliyah' where laid t...
Somerset Mall
Somerset Mall offers 204 stores and everything it takes to give families from Somerset West through to Mossel Bay a safe, fun-filled entertainmen...
Gordon's Bay Main Beach
Beautiful Gordon's Bay; a harbour town surrounded by the Helderberg Mountains and a neighbour to Strand, is charming, pretty, and home to some ex...
Lourensford Wine Estate
Make your way past the rose bushes on the edge of the vineyards and there you'll find fruit orchards, forest, a wine cellar, restaurant, fly fish...
Motorcycle Museum Helderberg
Not far from Somerset West on the Sir Lowrys Pass road, the Motorcycle Museum Helderberg welcomes visitors into an extraordinary tribute to motor...
Noteworthy attractions
Helderberg Wine Route
The 25 members of the Helderberg route follow distinctly different methods of growing grapes, from a 300-year old historical cellar to state-of-t...
Cape Helderberg Beaches
Where? The eastern coast of False Bay, ± 45 minutes from Cape Town. Includes Gordons Bay, Strand, Bikini beach, Kogel Bay. Go there for family ou...
Erinvale Golf Club
Having proudly hosted the World Cup of Golf in 1996 and twice the SAA open of Golf, Erinvale falls into the premium category of course. Designed ...
Somerset West Golf Club
Somerset West Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the area. It was officially founded in 1908. Until about 1985 the course was divided into 11 a...
Strand Golf Club
This golf course is situated close to the sandy beaches of the False Bay in a peaceful area surrounded by sea and mountains. Ducks and swans glid...
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
The 42,000 ha Reserve stretches from Elgin in the south to beyond Villiersdorp in the north, and from the Stellenbosch mountains in the west, eas...
Somerset Mall
Somerset Mall offers 204 stores and everything it takes to give families from Somerset West through to Mossel Bay a safe, fun-filled entertainmen...
Helderberg Wine Estates
The Helderberg Region is part of the wine-producing hub of the Cape Winelands in the Western Cape. It comprises the Strand, Somerset West and Gor...
Helderberg Nature Reserve
Set on the southern slopes of the Helderberg mountains, this 402 hectare reserve is a beautiful escape with breathtaking views, sef guided walks,...
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