Cape Point South Africa
Categories:
Attractions (Off the Beaten Track), Natural Landmarks, Tourist Attractions, and Tours / SightseeingSpecial Categories:
Family Entertainment, Lighthouses, Nature Reserves, Picnic, Scenic Drives, Sight Seeing, Walks & Hiking, and Wheelchair FriendlyGeo Co-ordinates:
Location:
Cape Point is in the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve within Table Mountain National Park, which forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage Site. It includes the majestic Table Mountain chain, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, and the coastlines of the Cape Peninsula. This narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of extraordinarily diverse and unique fauna and flora.
Named the ‘Cape of Storms’ by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488; the ‘Point’ was treated with respect by sailors for centuries. By day, it was a navigational landmark and by night, and in fog, it was a menace beset by violent storms and dangerous rocks that over the centuries littered shipwrecks around the coastline.
In 1859 the first lighthouse was completed; it still stands at 238 metres above sea-level on the highest section of the peak and is now used as the centralised monitoring point for all the lighthouses on the coast of South Africa. Access to this historical building is by an exhilarating three-minute ride in the wheelchair-accessible Flying Dutchman funicular that transfers visitors from the lower station at 127 metres above sea-level, to the upper station.
Cape Point is in the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve within Table Mountain National Park, which forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage Site. It includes the majestic Table Mountain chain, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, and the coastlines of the Cape Peninsula. This narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of extraordinarily diverse and unique fauna and flora.
Coming from Cape Town via the Atlantic side:
Follow the directions to Sea Point, then follow the coastal road along Camps Bay and Llandudno to arrive in Hout Bay (via M6).
From there, take Chapman’s Peak Drive, which will take you to Noordhoek.
Turn right to follow the magnificent coastline to Kommetjie, Soetwater, Witsand, Misty Cliffs and Scarborough, where you then drive inland for a few kilometres.
Table Mountain National Park’s entrance will be on your right.
oming from Cape Town via the False Bay side:
Take the Eastern Boulevard out of town and follow the directions from the M3 to Claremont. Continue on the M3 until you reach the end of the highway, then turn left towards Muizenberg and Fish Hoek.
Drive along the coast to the historic naval village of Simon’s Town.
Continue along the coastal road to Table Mountain National Park entrance on your left.
