Cape Point Lighthouse

Cape Point, at the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula within Table Mountain National Park, is marked by two lighthouses. The original stone lighthouse was completed around 1860 on the highest peak, some 238 metres above the sea, but its lofty position meant it was frequently obscured by cloud and mist. After a series of wrecks, most notably the loss of the Portuguese liner Lusitania in 1911, a new lighthouse was built lower on the point and commissioned in 1919, becoming the more reliable navigational light for ships rounding this notoriously stormy coast.

The waters off the Cape have long been steeped in maritime legend, above all the story of the Flying Dutchman, the phantom ship said to be doomed to sail these seas forever. Such tales are folklore born of treacherous conditions and centuries of shipwrecks, and are best appreciated as part of the Cape's romance rather than as literal fact.

The genuine value of the site is historical and natural. The lighthouses testify to the dangers of the sea route around southern Africa, while the surrounding reserve, with its dramatic cliffs, fynbos and wildlife, is a celebrated part of one of the world's richest floral regions.

Cape Point lies within the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park and is open to the public, with gate entry managed by SANParks. The old upper lighthouse is reached either on foot up a steep path or via the Flying Dutchman funicular, which carries visitors most of the way to the viewpoint.

Park entry and the funicular are ticketed separately, and there are restaurants, shops and walking trails on site. Visitors should be prepared for strong wind, sun and steep terrain, keep a safe distance from cliffs and wildlife such as baboons, and check current hours and prices before visiting.