Bergvliet

Bergvliet, Constantia Valley

Lying in the Constantia Valley, flanked by Tokai and Constantia, Bergvliet is a true example of suburban lifestyle in Cape Town.

Leafy streets are lined with comfortable homes and beautifully established gardens and estate agents emphasise the proximity to good schools and shopping centres as the main reason for living in the area, apart from the value of the houses, which have become rather dear for the young families at whom they are marketed. Nonetheless, Camps Bay or Clifton this is not, and a sedate lifestyle, largely unaffected by tourism and the hub of city life, persists.

Bergvliet lies in the shadow of the beautiful Constantiaberg Mountains - a well-loved landmark for all the suburbs that lie nestled here, known collectively as the southern suburbs.

Bergvliet's main attraction, as a visitor, is the quiet and peacefulness the neighbourhood offers and the quick access to the M3, which takes one into the city centre in just 20 minutes and to the beaches of False Bay even more quickly. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are minutes away and the Constantia Wine Route is quite literally on Bergvliet's doorstep.

Maynardville Park, in Wynberg, offers an open-air theatre, which in summer is a famous local haunt - synonymous with picnic baskets and blankets. Newlands cricket and rugby stadiums are close by and Rhodes Memorial with its tea garden and gorgeous views provides a perfect outing.

Melissa's, at the nearby Constantia Village shopping centre, is a well-kept secret amongst locals and an indulgent breakfast or lunch venue.