Somerset West is located about 25-minutes' drive from Cape Town along the N2 just before it starts the climb of the Sir Lowry's Pass mountain pass which connects the Cape with the Overberg and is a stop-over en-route to Hermanus and the Overberg. Somerset West is also just a one hour's drive to Hermanus, close to Stellenbosch for access to the fabulous wine farms and markets as well as to Elgin Grabouw where you will find more wine farms and attractions.
It is surrounded by the beautiful Helderberg Mountain which forms part of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains, and while part of the Helderberg Basin region, is also part of the beautiful winelands. It is only 10 minutes from Stellenbosch and is surrounded by rolling vineyards and fynbos. The popular Strand beach is a few minutes from Somerset West with many of the elevated neighbourhoods enjoying stunning views of the surrounding countryside and False Bay coast. The village straddles the Lourens River and is a wine region in its own right, but also forms part of the Route 62 Wine Route. It is home to some of the oldest wine farms in the country such as Lourensford and Vergelegen which dates to the 18th-century when it was established by Willem Adriaan van der Stel, governor of the Cape and son of Simon van der Stel, who gave his name to Stellenbosch.
Somerset West was founded in 1822 on part of the historic farm, Vergelegen. It was named Somerset after an English governor of the Cape Colony during the 1800s, Lord Charles Henry Somerset. The well-known Lord Charles hotel also being named after the founder. Attractions include the Helderberg Nature Reserve, a 363 hectare natural wildlife preserve opened in 1964 which contains a wide variety of smaller fauna (buck, tortoises and other reptiles) and outstanding specimens of indigenous flora such as protea and fynbos.
The town offers a few rare examples of stunning Cape Dutch architecture including the Vergelegen homestead. During a cold snowy winter when the peaks of the Helderberg is covered in snow, you can be forgiven for thinking that you are living in a Swiss village, it is that beautiful. Somerset West is a bustling commercial centre offering employment to locals and is fully self-sufficient in terms of services and amenities for residents. Facilities include the Somerset Mall which is a regional mall for the area offering many top brands and restaurants. There are also eateries and restaurants scattered throughout the village including the popular Vergelegen restaurant.
The top class medical facilities include the Vergelegen Medi-clinic private hospital. There are also sport clubs such as the Somerset West Country Club, not to forget the Erinvale golf club which is home to a championship golf course, regarded as the best in the Western Cape. It has hosted the Golf World Cup, two SA Open tournaments and many famous personalities such as Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Nigel Mansell, and is a regular for the Springboks and Proteas when they visit the Cape.
There are excellent childcare facilities and many very good schools such as Somerset College, Somerset House, Reddam House, Curro, Parel Vallei High School, De Hoop, Beaumont Primary. There is also easy access to Stellenbosch University and UCT (University of Cape Town) also very accessible from the village. Several notable South Africans, hail from Somerset West including Johann Rupert, Trevor Immelman (golfer), Handre Pollard and Selborne Boome (rugby players).
Somerset West offers a wide range of property options to suit every buyer need and budget, from older well-priced sectional title units and freehold houses to new, modern homes. There are a number of security complexes and estates in and around the village offering a diverse range of properties to choose from. This includes the Erinvale Golf Estate which offers a selection of sectional title and stunning full title homes with residents enjoying access to the top ranked golf course and club house as well as the Erinvale Hotel and Spa. Somerset West is popular with the so-called "swallow" foreign buyers from the UK and Northern Europe, especially from Germany and Switzerland who own second homes in the village to escape to for up to six months of the year to escape the cold European winters.
Seeff Somerset is located in Main Road and is a hive of activity, filled with a team spirit that can be felt by all our clients and visitors. Like any winning team, our agents work together to collaboratively deliver outstanding customer service. Working tirelessly to find perfect homes, at perfect prices, and close deals quickly, with the minimum of fuss for our clients.
