Cape Point is one of the greatest historical landmarks in the world with an incredible view. It is one of the six biggest icons in Cape Town and South Africa. Dubbed the Cape of Good Hope, from its rugged, rocky outcrops and sheer cliffs to the fynbos covered plain, it will reward the visitors with memories to treasure forever. You can take the funicular to the old lighthouse overlooking the scenery of the coast, or take a leisurely walk on the wild side.
Situated at the junction of two of earth's most contrasting water masses - the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast , the Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.
Geographically, however, the Indian Ocean joins the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Agulhas.
The local authority proclaimed the area a nature reserve in 1938 and it was incorporated into the Table Mountain National Park in 1998.
It encompasses 7 750 hectares of rich and varied flora and fauna and its 40 kilometre coastline stretches from Schuster's Bay in the west to Smitswinkel Bay in the east.
The cliffs at the southern point, towering more than 200 metres above the sea, consists of three clearly defined promontories - Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point.
History of human habitation dates back to the early Stone Age, and San hunter-gatherers and Khoi pastoralists lived here. Many middens are found along the coast.
Early European seafarers who circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope include the 15th century Portuguese explorers, Bartholomew Dias and Vasco Da Gama , whose journeys led to the establishment of the Cape sea route to the East. To commemorate their voyages of discovery, two navigational beacons have been erected at strategic points.
In 1488, Dias named the peninsula Cabo Tormentoso, or the Cape of Storms . Portugal's King John II later gave it the name Cabo da Boa Esperanca, the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1580, Sir Francis Drake described it as "The most stately thing and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth".
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Two Oceans Restaurant
Two Oceans Restaurant is uniquely positioned perched high above the crashing waves of False Bay right at tip of the African continent. Not only is it a perfect location for overlooking the breeding waters of many whales, but it is also where you can catch some of the Cape's best seafood dishes.
Two Oceans Restaurant has been in operation for more than 10 years. In July 2005 the restaurant's interior was redecorated and the kitchen enlarged and equipped with the latest equipment. The restaurant has been designed to ensure that all guests can enjoy the incredible views of False Bay - either from inside the restaurant or from the terrace.
The menu caters for a wide range of tastes and needs, from delectable breakfasts and light lunches to a wonderful selection of seafood and other continental dishes including pastas, salads and meats prepared to perfection.
Times: Winter: 9h00 to 17h00 (April - September)
Summer: 9h00 to 18h00 (October - March)
Table seating: indoor - 170 pax
terrace - 70 pax
Catering for large groups: Set menu or a-la-carte selection available
The Two Oceans Food Shop @ Cape Point
For those visitors who do not have time to relax in the Two Oceans Restaurant, the Two Oceans Food Shop @ Cape Point offers a variety of light meals and snacks - cooldrinks, coffee, biscuits, biltong, droëwors and other authentic South African products. These can be enjoyed at the tables on the terrace outside the Food Shop.
Times: Winter: 9h00 to 17h00 (April - September) Summer: 9h00 to 18h00 (October - March)
Food Shop Manager: Chantal Fisher
FUNICULAR - FLYING DUTCHMAN
Brief History:
The funicular was opened December 1996 and replaced the little bus named the Flying Dutchman.
The lower funicular station is 127mr (417ft) above sea level.
The upper funicular station is 214mr (702ft) above sea level.
Length of the funicular track is 585mr (1920ft)
Prices:
R32.00 Adult returns
R24.00 Adult single
R10.00 Scholar/Pensioner returns
R8.00 Scholar/Pensioner single
Capacity:
The funicular can take 40 patrons but only 35 are loaded for comfort.
Contact details:
Postal address: Cape Point Partnership
PO Box 367 - Simon's Town 7995
Tel: (021) 780-9010
Fax: (021) 780-9203
SHOPPING
Cape Point Logo Store:
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
Adjacent to the main parking area, to the right of the funicular ticket office
Contact person
Jackie
Contact number
021 780 9066
The Cape Point Logo Store is the ultimate souvenir shop at the Point! Visitors can choose from a wide variety of merchandise branded with the Cape Point Logo, from t-shirts & fleece tops, caps & hats, mugs & teaspoons, to key rings, magnets, & books! The Cape Point Certificate - the official record of a visit to Cape Point is sold here. Everyone will be able to find a memento to take home as a reminder of their visit to this beautiful place.
Cape Point Parks Shop
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
Adjacent to the main parking area, to the right of the funicular ticket office
Contact person
Tanya
Contact number
021 780 9202
Cape Point falls within the Table Mountain National Park and it is the natural beauty and diversity of the floral kingdom that is celebrated in this store. Visitors can purchase bath and body products made from uniquely African extracts like rooibos and aloe; take home their own Protea seeds or buy books to guide them through the flora and birds of the area. Our African heritage is also recognized in locally made bright ceramics and cloths. Clothing and accessories for adults and children complete the picture.
Lighthouse Five
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
At the top, next to the funicular station
Contact person
Magmoed
Contact number
021 780 9111
Lighthouse Five reflects maritime history and has a distinctly nautical feel with rich dark wood fittings and polished brass. Buy your own ships wheel or brass bell; take home an intricate replica of an old sailing ship or an ostrich egg decorated with old maps. Great white shark posters, shark tooth jewelry, DVD's, globes and Ngwenya glass figurines are just a few of the treasures to be found! For the kids a range of soft and cuddly marine toys, bright accessories and clothes.
All three stores sell a range of film and batteries suitable for cameras; postcards and international post card stamps.
CONFERENCE & ACCOMMODATION
Buffelsfontein Conference Facility
Fully equipped conference facility for groups up to 24 people
Available equipment:
- data projector
- audio equipment (VCR, DVD)
- white boards
- flipcharts
- overhead projector
Package can include all tea, coffee and confectioneries as well as tailor made lunch or corporate braai (area situated to the side of the conference room), or travel to the Two Oceans restaurant for lunch.
Olifantsbos Cottage
Self catering with 1x double room and 2x twin rooms
Adjacent unit accommodating 6 people
Fully equipped kitchen and braai facilities
Solar power lighting
Eland & Duiker Cottages
Each unites comprises 3x bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen and braai facilities.
Eland cottage has an enclosed patio area
For prices, further information or to book, contact Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre on tel: (021) 780 9204 or fax: (021) 780 9321.
The centre is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00.
ACTIVITIES
SCENIC FLIGHTS - HELICOPTER FLIPS
Enjoy a scenic flight to Cape Point in one of the quietest helicopters in the world. The EC120 can seat 4 people and the EC130 seats 6 people. The 15 minutes flight will take you along the coastal edge towards Cape Point where you will enjoy an incredible vista of the Point.
Contact Newco Heli Tours on (021) 914 7679 to book.
24 hours notice is required.
BIRD WATCHING
With its diverse habitats, ranging from rocky mountain tops to beaches and open sea, the Cape of Good Hope is home to at least 250 species of birds.
On land, the most notable species are ostrich and raptors like the Rock Kestrel, Black-Shouldered Kite, Fish Eagle, Black Eagle, Spotted Eagle Owl and Jackal Buzzard. "Bush birds" tend to be rather scarce because of the coarse, scrubby nature of fynbos vegetation. When flowering, however, proteas and ericas attract sunbirds, sugar-birds and other species in search of nectar.
For most of the year, there are more small birds in coastal thicket than in fynbos. The beaches and rocky shores are frequented by Black Oystercatchers, Kelp Gulls, Curlew Sandpipers, Whitefronted Plovers and Hautlaub's Gulls.
NATURE DISCOVERY - BUSH WALKS
The Cape of Good Hope is an integral part of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, the smallest, but richest of the world's six floral kingdoms. This comprises a treasure trove of 1 100 species of indigenous plants, of which a number are endemic. Two types of fynbos ("fine bush"), coastal fynbos on alkaline sands and inland fynbos on acid soils, are found. Characteristic fynbos plants include proteas, ericas (heath) and restios (reeds). Some of the most striking and well-known members belong to the Proteacae family, of which up to 24 species occur.
Many popular horticulatural plants like pelargoniums, freesias, daisies, lilies and irises, also have their origins in fynbos.
SPECIALISED GUIDING - LIGHTHOUSES
"The Point" has not been called the "Cape of Storms" for nothing and has therefore been treated with respect by sailors since it was first sighted by Dias in 1488. By day, it was a landmark of great navigational value until the introduction of the radar. By night, and in fog, it was a menace. Ships had to approach closely to obtain bearings and thereby were exposed to the dangers of Bellow Rock and Albatross Rock. In 1860 the first lighthouse was completed, 238 metres above sea-level.
However, this light was often obscured by mist and fog. In 1913 construction was started on a second lighthouse on Dias Point, some 87 meters above sea-level.
This second light was first lit at sunset on 11 March 1919, and remains the most powerful on the South African coast.
The original lighthouse still stands 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.
HISTORICAL NAVAL TOURS - SHIPWRECKS
Once of the Cape's most famous legends involves a ship named the Flying Dutchman. In 1680, the vessel foundered whilst rounding the Cape in heavy weather. The captain, Hendrik van der Decken, swore while his ship was sin king, that he would round the Cape if it took him until doomsday. Some believe that he has kept his word, as over the years the Flying Dutchman is said to have been sighted on many occasions.
A well-know shipwreck is that of the Lusitania, which struck Bellows Rock in thick fog at midnight on 18 April 1911. This was one of the reasons why the present lighthouse was built.
The remains of at least 23 shipwrecks lie along the coastline , only five of which can still be seen - at Olifantsbos, Duikersklip, Hoek van Bobbejaan, Dias Beach and Buffels Bay. The remains of two wrecks near Olifantsbos can be reached from the beach. These are the Thomas T Tucker, which ran aground during World War II and the Nolleth, wrecked in 1965.
DIVING, SURFING AND MARINE LIFE
The area offers excellent vantage points for whale viewing. The Southern Right Whale is the species most likely to be seen in False Bay between June and November.
Others species are the Humpback Whale and Bryde's Whale. Seals and dolphins may also be seen.
The strategic position of Cape of Good Hope between two major ocean currents, ensures a rich diversity of marine life. There is a difference between the sea life west of Cape Point and that to the east due to the markedly differing sea temperatures.
The South African Marine Living Resources Act is strictly enforced throughout the Table Mountain National Park, and especially in marine protected areas. Disturbance or removal of any marine organisms is strictly prohibited between Schusters Bay and Hoek van Bobbejaan, but is allowed in other areas during season and with relevant permits.
From Hoek van Bobbejaan to Cape Point, the removal or disturbance of any intertidal organisms is prohibited.
Please refer to Marine and Coastal Management regulations before undertaking any recreational diving or angling activities in the Park.
ANIMAL SIGHTINGS - FAUNA
Due to sandy soils, the area is unable to sustain a number of large animals and those that are present are not easily seen. However, there is a wealth of insects, lizards, tortoises (including the Cape Angulate Tortoise), frogs and snakes such as the Puff Adder, Cape Cobra, Mole Snake and Boomslang.
Mammals include Cape Mountain Zebra, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax ("dassie"), Genet, Lunx, Striped Mouse, Cape Grey and Water Mongoose, and Cape Clawless Otter. Eight species of antelope are also found here: Bontebok, Eland, Cape Grysbok, Red Hartebeest, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok and Grey Duiker. Klipspringers have been re-established recently after an absence of almost 70 years.
Did you say baboons?
The Chacma Baboon ( Papio ursinus) troops on the Cape Peninsula are the only protected population of this species in Africa. They subsist on fruits, roots, honey, bulbs, insects and scorpions. During low tide, they may be seen roaming the beaches, feeding on sandhoppers and shellfish, behaviour believed to be unusual in primates. Please be aware that baboons can be dangerous and are attracted by food. Visitors must not feed or tease them.
o DO keep a safe distance from baboons
o DO move away slowly if a baboon approaches you
o DO NOT display food when baboons are visible
o DO NOT open the windows or doors of you car when baboons are present
o DO NOT feed baboons. You will be fined.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cape Point is also a WORLD WEATHER STATION.
The South African Weather Bureau, together with the Fraunhofer Institute in Garmisch, Germany, maintains a research laboratory at Cape Point to monitor long-term changes in the chemistry of the earth's atmosphere, which may impact upon climate. The laboratory, which was architecturally designed to blend into the western slopes of Cape Point , is one of the World Meteorological Organisations' 20 Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) stations.
It monitors environmentally important air components, including trace gases like ozone, methane and carbon dioxide, as well as solar radiation and various meteorological parameters.
The air at Cape Point is regarded as being particularly pure for most of the time, thereby providing insights into such phenomenon a stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.
And much more to come …
We will keep you updated as to what other services are available within Cape Point and the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park.
20 Reasons to visit Cape Point
The most southwesterly point of Africa.
Breathe the freshest air in the world - straight from the Antarctic.
It's where the cold Benguela current on the West coast and the warm Agulhus current on the East coast merge.
Situated in the 22 100 hectare Table Mountain National Park - a natural World Heritage Site .
One of the highest sea cliffs in the world - 249 m above sea level.
The circumnavigation of the Cape of Good Hope led to the establishment of a sea route to the East and subsequent trade.
26 recorded shipwrecks.
Bird watcher's paradise - at least 250 species.
Approximately 1 100 indigenous plant species, some of which occur no where else on earth.
Variety of buck, baboons and other animals.
Swimming at Bordjiesrif and Buffels Bay tidal pools.
Numerous scenic walks and trails.
Excellent angling and diving spots.
Whale and dolphin watching from May to November.
Historical monuments including the Diaz and Da Gama crosses.
The funicular - scenic trips to the old lighthouse.
Enjoy the cleanest ocean waters.
The Two Oceans Restaurant offers world class cuisine and spectacular vistas over False Bay.
Two curio shops, each with an impressive range of high quality South African curios and Cape Point merchandise.
A million points of view.
SEE YOU AT THE POINT!
One Point, a million points of view
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www.destinationrestaurants.co.za
The Two Oceans Food Shop @ Cape Point
For those visitors who do not have time to relax in the Two Oceans Restaurant, the Two Oceans Food Shop @ Cape Point offers a variety of light meals and snacks - cooldrinks, coffee, biscuits, biltong, droëwors and other authentic South African products. These can be enjoyed at the tables on the terrace outside the Food Shop.
Times: Winter: 9h00 to 17h00 (April - September) Summer: 9h00 to 18h00 (October - March)
Food Shop Manager: Chantal Fisher
FUNICULAR - FLYING DUTCHMAN
Brief History:
The funicular was opened December 1996 and replaced the little bus named the Flying Dutchman.
The lower funicular station is 127mr (417ft) above sea level.
The upper funicular station is 214mr (702ft) above sea level.
Length of the funicular track is 585mr (1920ft)
Prices:
R32.00 Adult returns
R24.00 Adult single
R10.00 Scholar/Pensioner returns
R8.00 Scholar/Pensioner single
Capacity:
The funicular can take 40 patrons but only 35 are loaded for comfort.
Contact details:
Postal address: Cape Point Partnership
PO Box 367 - Simon's Town 7995
Tel: (021) 780-9010
Fax: (021) 780-9203
SHOPPING
Cape Point Logo Store:
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
Adjacent to the main parking area, to the right of the funicular ticket office
Contact person
Jackie
Contact number
021 780 9066
The Cape Point Logo Store is the ultimate souvenir shop at the Point! Visitors can choose from a wide variety of merchandise branded with the Cape Point Logo, from t-shirts & fleece tops, caps & hats, mugs & teaspoons, to key rings, magnets, & books! The Cape Point Certificate - the official record of a visit to Cape Point is sold here. Everyone will be able to find a memento to take home as a reminder of their visit to this beautiful place.
Cape Point Parks Shop
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
Adjacent to the main parking area, to the right of the funicular ticket office
Contact person
Tanya
Contact number
021 780 9202
Cape Point falls within the Table Mountain National Park and it is the natural beauty and diversity of the floral kingdom that is celebrated in this store. Visitors can purchase bath and body products made from uniquely African extracts like rooibos and aloe; take home their own Protea seeds or buy books to guide them through the flora and birds of the area. Our African heritage is also recognized in locally made bright ceramics and cloths. Clothing and accessories for adults and children complete the picture.
Lighthouse Five
Trading hours
8:30 am to 5:30
Trading days
Open seven days a week, 365 days of the year
Location
At the top, next to the funicular station
Contact person
Magmoed
Contact number
021 780 9111
Lighthouse Five reflects maritime history and has a distinctly nautical feel with rich dark wood fittings and polished brass. Buy your own ships wheel or brass bell; take home an intricate replica of an old sailing ship or an ostrich egg decorated with old maps. Great white shark posters, shark tooth jewelry, DVD's, globes and Ngwenya glass figurines are just a few of the treasures to be found! For the kids a range of soft and cuddly marine toys, bright accessories and clothes.
All three stores sell a range of film and batteries suitable for cameras; postcards and international post card stamps.
CONFERENCE & ACCOMMODATION
Buffelsfontein Conference Facility
Fully equipped conference facility for groups up to 24 people
Available equipment:
- data projector
- audio equipment (VCR, DVD)
- white boards
- flipcharts
- overhead projector
Package can include all tea, coffee and confectioneries as well as tailor made lunch or corporate braai (area situated to the side of the conference room), or travel to the Two Oceans restaurant for lunch.
Olifantsbos Cottage
Self catering with 1x double room and 2x twin rooms
Adjacent unit accommodating 6 people
Fully equipped kitchen and braai facilities
Solar power lighting
Eland & Duiker Cottages
Each unites comprises 3x bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen and braai facilities.
Eland cottage has an enclosed patio area
For prices, further information or to book, contact Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre on tel: (021) 780 9204 or fax: (021) 780 9321.
The centre is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00.
ACTIVITIES
SCENIC FLIGHTS - HELICOPTER FLIPS
Enjoy a scenic flight to Cape Point in one of the quietest helicopters in the world. The EC120 can seat 4 people and the EC130 seats 6 people. The 15 minutes flight will take you along the coastal edge towards Cape Point where you will enjoy an incredible vista of the Point.
Contact Newco Heli Tours on (021) 914 7679 to book.
24 hours notice is required.
BIRD WATCHING
With its diverse habitats, ranging from rocky mountain tops to beaches and open sea, the Cape of Good Hope is home to at least 250 species of birds.
On land, the most notable species are ostrich and raptors like the Rock Kestrel, Black-Shouldered Kite, Fish Eagle, Black Eagle, Spotted Eagle Owl and Jackal Buzzard. "Bush birds" tend to be rather scarce because of the coarse, scrubby nature of fynbos vegetation. When flowering, however, proteas and ericas attract sunbirds, sugar-birds and other species in search of nectar.
For most of the year, there are more small birds in coastal thicket than in fynbos. The beaches and rocky shores are frequented by Black Oystercatchers, Kelp Gulls, Curlew Sandpipers, Whitefronted Plovers and Hautlaub's Gulls.
NATURE DISCOVERY - BUSH WALKS
The Cape of Good Hope is an integral part of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, the smallest, but richest of the world's six floral kingdoms. This comprises a treasure trove of 1 100 species of indigenous plants, of which a number are endemic. Two types of fynbos ("fine bush"), coastal fynbos on alkaline sands and inland fynbos on acid soils, are found. Characteristic fynbos plants include proteas, ericas (heath) and restios (reeds). Some of the most striking and well-known members belong to the Proteacae family, of which up to 24 species occur.
Many popular horticulatural plants like pelargoniums, freesias, daisies, lilies and irises, also have their origins in fynbos.
SPECIALISED GUIDING - LIGHTHOUSES
"The Point" has not been called the "Cape of Storms" for nothing and has therefore been treated with respect by sailors since it was first sighted by Dias in 1488. By day, it was a landmark of great navigational value until the introduction of the radar. By night, and in fog, it was a menace. Ships had to approach closely to obtain bearings and thereby were exposed to the dangers of Bellow Rock and Albatross Rock. In 1860 the first lighthouse was completed, 238 metres above sea-level.
However, this light was often obscured by mist and fog. In 1913 construction was started on a second lighthouse on Dias Point, some 87 meters above sea-level.
This second light was first lit at sunset on 11 March 1919, and remains the most powerful on the South African coast.
The original lighthouse still stands 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.
HISTORICAL NAVAL TOURS - SHIPWRECKS
Once of the Cape's most famous legends involves a ship named the Flying Dutchman. In 1680, the vessel foundered whilst rounding the Cape in heavy weather. The captain, Hendrik van der Decken, swore while his ship was sin king, that he would round the Cape if it took him until doomsday. Some believe that he has kept his word, as over the years the Flying Dutchman is said to have been sighted on many occasions.
A well-know shipwreck is that of the Lusitania, which struck Bellows Rock in thick fog at midnight on 18 April 1911. This was one of the reasons why the present lighthouse was built.
The remains of at least 23 shipwrecks lie along the coastline , only five of which can still be seen - at Olifantsbos, Duikersklip, Hoek van Bobbejaan, Dias Beach and Buffels Bay. The remains of two wrecks near Olifantsbos can be reached from the beach. These are the Thomas T Tucker, which ran aground during World War II and the Nolleth, wrecked in 1965.
DIVING, SURFING AND MARINE LIFE
The area offers excellent vantage points for whale viewing. The Southern Right Whale is the species most likely to be seen in False Bay between June and November.
Others species are the Humpback Whale and Bryde's Whale. Seals and dolphins may also be seen.
The strategic position of Cape of Good Hope between two major ocean currents, ensures a rich diversity of marine life. There is a difference between the sea life west of Cape Point and that to the east due to the markedly differing sea temperatures.
The South African Marine Living Resources Act is strictly enforced throughout the Table Mountain National Park, and especially in marine protected areas. Disturbance or removal of any marine organisms is strictly prohibited between Schusters Bay and Hoek van Bobbejaan, but is allowed in other areas during season and with relevant permits.
From Hoek van Bobbejaan to Cape Point, the removal or disturbance of any intertidal organisms is prohibited.
Please refer to Marine and Coastal Management regulations before undertaking any recreational diving or angling activities in the Park.
ANIMAL SIGHTINGS - FAUNA
Due to sandy soils, the area is unable to sustain a number of large animals and those that are present are not easily seen. However, there is a wealth of insects, lizards, tortoises (including the Cape Angulate Tortoise), frogs and snakes such as the Puff Adder, Cape Cobra, Mole Snake and Boomslang.
Mammals include Cape Mountain Zebra, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax ("dassie"), Genet, Lunx, Striped Mouse, Cape Grey and Water Mongoose, and Cape Clawless Otter. Eight species of antelope are also found here: Bontebok, Eland, Cape Grysbok, Red Hartebeest, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok and Grey Duiker. Klipspringers have been re-established recently after an absence of almost 70 years.
Did you say baboons?
The Chacma Baboon ( Papio ursinus) troops on the Cape Peninsula are the only protected population of this species in Africa. They subsist on fruits, roots, honey, bulbs, insects and scorpions. During low tide, they may be seen roaming the beaches, feeding on sandhoppers and shellfish, behaviour believed to be unusual in primates. Please be aware that baboons can be dangerous and are attracted by food. Visitors must not feed or tease them.
o DO keep a safe distance from baboons
o DO move away slowly if a baboon approaches you
o DO NOT display food when baboons are visible
o DO NOT open the windows or doors of you car when baboons are present
o DO NOT feed baboons. You will be fined.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cape Point is also a WORLD WEATHER STATION.
The South African Weather Bureau, together with the Fraunhofer Institute in Garmisch, Germany, maintains a research laboratory at Cape Point to monitor long-term changes in the chemistry of the earth's atmosphere, which may impact upon climate. The laboratory, which was architecturally designed to blend into the western slopes of Cape Point , is one of the World Meteorological Organisations' 20 Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) stations.
It monitors environmentally important air components, including trace gases like ozone, methane and carbon dioxide, as well as solar radiation and various meteorological parameters.
The air at Cape Point is regarded as being particularly pure for most of the time, thereby providing insights into such phenomenon a stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.
And much more to come …
We will keep you updated as to what other services are available within Cape Point and the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park.
20 Reasons to visit Cape Point
The most southwesterly point of Africa.
Breathe the freshest air in the world - straight from the Antarctic.
It's where the cold Benguela current on the West coast and the warm Agulhus current on the East coast merge.
Situated in the 22 100 hectare Table Mountain National Park - a natural World Heritage Site .
One of the highest sea cliffs in the world - 249 m above sea level.
The circumnavigation of the Cape of Good Hope led to the establishment of a sea route to the East and subsequent trade.
26 recorded shipwrecks.
Bird watcher's paradise - at least 250 species.
Approximately 1 100 indigenous plant species, some of which occur no where else on earth.
Variety of buck, baboons and other animals.
Swimming at Bordjiesrif and Buffels Bay tidal pools.
Numerous scenic walks and trails.
Excellent angling and diving spots.
Whale and dolphin watching from May to November.
Historical monuments including the Diaz and Da Gama crosses.
The funicular - scenic trips to the old lighthouse.
Enjoy the cleanest ocean waters.
The Two Oceans Restaurant offers world class cuisine and spectacular vistas over False Bay.
Two curio shops, each with an impressive range of high quality South African curios and Cape Point merchandise.
A million points of view.
SEE YOU AT THE POINT!
One Point, a million points of view
