Embark on an awe-inspiring tour to the towering headland known as Cape Point. Jutting out into the ocean, this rugged and rocky peninsula has become synonymous with the Cape of Storms since the explorer, Barolotmeu Dias, first set his sights on it in 1488. A sightseeing drive to the Cape Point Nature reserve and around the Cape Peninsula is a “must do” day trip when visiting Cape Town. The magnificent Cape Point route is one of the great day tours from Cape Town. It is also one of the most remarkable drives anywhere in the world and features steep cliffs, stunning vistas and plenty of sightseeing opportunities!
Places of Interest
Maiden’s Cove is a beautiful scenic lookout point nestled between Clifton’s beaches and Glen Beach in the prestigious suburb of Camps Bay in Cape Town, Western Cape. It is well renowned for its exquisite vistas of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles, as well as its view of the Atlantic Ocean.
The parking and grassy area at Maiden’s Cove is a popular spot to watch the sunset, and there are braai areas for those who wish to make an evening or day of it. Dolphins can often be spotted frolicking in the water and during the months of June to November, it’s fantastic for whale watching.
‘You gotta do Chappies’ is a common refrain to hear in Cape Town. ‘Chappies’ is local speak for Chapman’s Peak Drive, and it’s one of Cape Town‘s most famous landmarks. It’s nine kilometres and 114 curves of breathtaking scenery that takes you from Noordhoek to Hout Bay or the other way around. Some say it is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world.
Along with Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope is one of the world’s most famous navigational landmarks. Located at the meeting point between the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, this geographical ‘accident’ is famous for its wild seas and the violent winds which beat up against it. It is also the great gate into the “Roaring Forties”. The Cape of Good Hope marks the point where a ship begins to travel more eastward than southward. Thus, the first modern rounding of the cape in 1488 by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was a milestone in the attempts by the Portuguese to establish direct trade relations with the Far East (although Herodotus mentioned a claim that the Phoenicians had done so far earlier). Dias called the cape Cabo das Tormentas (“Cape of Storms”; Dutch: Stormkaap), which was the original name of the “Cape of Good Hope”.
The lighthouse at Cape Point is the most powerful on the South African coast. It has a range of 63 kilometres, and beams out a group of three flashes of 10 million candlepower each, every 30 seconds. But, through history, mariners had taken a rather dimmer view of warning beacons around the Point.
A lighthouse was built In 1857, on Cape Point Peak, 238 metres above sea level. The equipment for the lighthouse had been shipped from England. However, because of its high position, clouds and fog often obscured the lighthouse. In fact, for an alarming 900 hours per year on average, its light was invisible to ships at sea at a certain angle.
Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach
This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs from the Boulders Visitor Centre at the Foxy Beach end of the protected area – part of Table Mountain National Park – to Boulders Beach, where you can get down on the sand and mingle with the waddling penguins. Don’t, however, be tempted to pet them: they have sharp beaks that can cause serious injuries.
The bulk of the colony, which has grown from just two breeding pairs in 1982, seems to prefer hanging out at Foxy Beach, where, like nonchalant, stunted supermodels, they blithely ignore the armies of camera-touting tourists snapping away on the viewing platforms. (The beach itself is off-limits to visitors.)
The aquatic birds, which are an endangered species, were formerly called jackass penguins on account of their donkey-like braying – you’ll have a chance to hear it if you turn up during the main breeding season, which peaks from March to May. Parking is available at either end of the reservation, on Seaforth Rd and on Bellevue Rd, where you’ll also find accommodation and places to eat. Boulders is around 3km southeast of Simon’s Town.
