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YYou can drive, hike or even explore Cape Point by helicopter. It is one of the most beautiful parts of the African continent where you can enjoy ocean views that stretch for miles while exploring the lighthouses, complete legends of ghost ships, then enjoy the abundance of animals, birds and reptiles, as well as other flora and fauna in the area.
Cape Point Nature Reserve forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a popular part of the Table Mountain National Park. This region is home to some 250 bird species, including gulls, eagles, Cape sugarbirds and sunbirds as well as the endangered African black oystercatchers.
If you’re lucky you can spot a variety of antelope such as klipspringer, steenbok, eland, and the Cape mountain zebra. In the rock pools, Cape clawless otters can be found and let’s not forget the well-known chacma baboons. Lesser spotted animals are caracal and the small-spotted genet. Reptiles and amphibians are also abundant - look out for the very rare Table Mountain ghost frog or Cape chirping frog.
CAPE POINT NATURE RESERVE
Did You Know?
DDespite being situated on the tip of Africa, Cape Point is not, as many of us believe, the most southerly tip of Africa.
CCape Point is made up of the three promontories of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point itself. The cliffs of Cape Point, more than 200m above the sea, are also the perfect lookout spot for whales between May and November, while dolphins can be seen throughout the year.
AApart from the animal life, the diversity, density and endemism of the indigenous flora numbers around 1100 indigenous plant species - among the world's highest - and some of which occur nowhere else on Earth.
Animals and plants can be observed on the numerous scenic hiking trails that crisscross the 40km coastline and 7750-hectare reserve, but no visit to Cape Point is complete without exploring the old Cape Point lighthouse. An icon of the Cape Peninsula, it was decommissioned years ago as it was built in the wrong place, which led to many ships crushing on its rocks. The most famous is the story of The Flying Dutchman, the ghostly galleon that sank rounding the Cape Point on a stormy night. Inspired by the local legend is the novel and exciting Flying Dutchman Funicular. Also known as the Cape Point Funicular, it will get you from the car park to see the old lighthouse.
Believed to be the only commercial funicular of its type in Africa, it leaves every three minutes, carrying 40 passengers at a time and runs from a lower station at the Cape Point car park, up an incline through dense fynbos to the upper lighthouse.
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