Cape Point
Cape Point is a dramatic knife's edge of rock that slices into the Atlantic. Looking out to sea from one of the many viewing platforms, you'll feel like you're at the tip of Africa, even though that honor officially belongs to another dramatic point at Cape Agulhas, some 160 km (100 miles) to the southeast. From Cape Point the views of False Bay and the distant Hottentots Holland Mountains are astonishing—as is the sheer magnitude of the rock face jutting into the wild sea. The sense of wildness is magnified by the squawks and cries of seabirds that dance in the thermals above the ocean. The walk up to the viewing platform and the old lighthouse is very steep and very gratifying. If you’re short on time, or don't have the stomach for an on-foot ascent, the Flying Dutchman Funicular, named after a legendary ghost ship, leaves from the lower station at the Cape Point car park, taking passengers to the upper lighthouse every few minutes for a fee. However you go up, take a jacket or sweater as the wind can be fierce, and weather can change suddenly.
It took six years, from 1913 to 1919, to build the old lighthouse, 816 feet above the high-water mark. On a clear day the old lighthouse was a great navigational mark, but when the mists rolled in it was useless, so a new and much lower lighthouse (286 feet) was built at Dias Lookout Point. The newer, revolving lighthouse, the most powerful on the South African coast, emits a group of three flashes every 30 seconds and has prevented numerous shipwrecks. You can't go into either lighthouse, but the views from their bases are spectacular.
Stark reminders of the ships that didn't make it are dotted around the Cape. You'll see their rusty remains on some of the beaches. One of the more famous wrecks is the Thomas T. Tucker, one of hundreds of Liberty Ships produced by the United States to enable the Allies to move vast amounts of supplies during World War II. It wasn't the German U-boats patrolling the coastline that did the ship in, it was the fog, and on her maiden voyage in 1942, it ended up on Olifantsbos Point. Fortunately, all on board were saved, but the wreck soon broke up in the rough seas that pound the coast. The mast you see on the western slopes of Cape Point near the lighthouse belongs to the Global Atmosphere Watch Station (GAW). The South African Weather Bureau, together with the Fraunhofer Institute in Garmisch, Germany, maintains a research laboratory here to monitor long-term changes in the chemistry of the earth's atmosphere, which may impact climate. This is one of 20 GAWs throughout the world, chosen because the air at Cape Point is considered particularly pure most of the time.
During peak season (December–January), visit Cape Point as early as possible to avoid the crowds. There's a shop, a snack kiosk, and the Two Ocean Restaurant, which affords gorgeous views but an overpriced, half-decent menu (you'd be better off dining in Kalk Bay).
The best way to experience the park is to hike on one of the numerous walking trails (favorites include the boardwalk trail to Diaz Beach and the shipwreck trail) and/or enjoy a picnic and dip at the Bordjiesrif or Buffels Bay tidal pools, or on Platboom or Oliphantsbos beaches. A fantastic alternative is to stay overnight in the comfortable basic accommodations, booked through South African National Parks.
Driving from the main entrance to the Cape Point parking area will take around 15 minutes. Within the park, you can also drive or hike to Cape of Good Hope (Africa's most southwesterly point, but nowhere near as dramatic as Cape Point), and there are several turn-offs onto circular drives and toward less-touristy viewpoints or simply for a chance to appreciate the fynbos and potentially see wild animals; the reserve is signposted throughout and there is no dangerous wildlife (aside from snakes), so getting out of your car is perfectly fine, just remember to lock doors and keep food out of view lest you tempt baboons. Do not feed nor in any way tempt or tease baboons, which are under threat and often food-deprived and consequently can be aggressive. They can also open car doors and will swoop down quickly to take packets from your clutches if given half a chance.
