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Cape Point South Africa by Pierre Andr茅 Leclercq –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Cape Point

Cape Point is a promontory (a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water) at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometers at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town are close to the northern extremity of the same peninsula. 

The cape is located about 2.3 kilometers east and a little north of the Cape of Good Hope on the southwest corner.  Although these two rocky capes are very well known, neither cape is actually the southernmost point of the mainland of Africa; that is Cape Agulhas, approximately 150 kilometers to the east-southeast.

Let鈥檚 look at the most fascinating facts about Cape Point.

1. Cape Point was formed in the ice age

This began 2.6 million years ago. Glaciers covered most of the earth鈥檚 surface and began to melt in the interglacial periods. Increasing water levels and sediments from the erstwhile ice caps deposited on shores creating rocky headlands.

Similarly, strong waves carrying sand and silt deposited and simultaneously eroded coastal rocks creating the Cape on the Atlantic coast of Africa as part of the Table Mountain ranges. Composed of sandstone, their edges were easily eroded by wind and water forces, leaving behind the hard and rugged cape.

2. The peak above Cape Point is higher than that above the Cape of Good Hope

Right at the tip of Cape Point by Meganbeckett27 –

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, based on the misbelief that the Cape was the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. 

In fact, the southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas about 150 kilometers to the east-southeast.

3. The ridge that rises from Cape Point at sea level develops into two peaks

There is a major peak that dominates the skyline locally, but there is also a smaller peak about 100 m further south. The higher peak has the old lighthouse on the top. 

The Flying Dutchman Funicular runs from a car park to the north up to slightly below the level of the old lighthouse, and a short flight of steps leads to a viewing platform around the base of the lighthouse. From the end of the railway, a second path leads to a lower peak.

4. Cape Point is the windiest place in South Africa

Cape Point by Liridon –

The wind feels like it comes from the south pole, strong and crisp. It certainly is pure, some of the cleanest air in all of Africa according to the local laboratories, which use Cape Point as a base to measure the air that has passed over the southern Atlantic Ocean.

Cape Point is the windiest place in South Africa and experiences only 2% of all hours in the year with calm conditions. The average wind speed is 25 km/h with 42% of the wind speeds greater than 30 km/h.

5. Cape Point is the most south-western point of the African continent

A signboard announces the Cape of Good Hope as, 鈥淭he most south-western point of the African continent鈥�. 

The most southern point belongs to a near neighbor, Cape Agulhas, 150kms to the east.

6. Cape Point is known as the meeting point of two oceans

Cape Point, South Africa by kallerna –

Cape Point is famed as the meeting point of two oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, but this is not technically correct. 

The currents of the two oceans meet at the point where the warm water Agulhas current meets the cold water Benguela current and turns back on itself, a point that fluctuates between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point.

7. Cape Point has more plant varieties than all of Britain 

For a botanist, Cape Point is a rich playground. With 1080 species, the reserve boasts one of the highest numbers of plant species for similar-sized areas in the world. 

With fynbos, the indigenous flora, fire is essential for maintaining the ecosystem and requires regular burning. Fynbos thrives on infertile soils and fire is the mechanism that recycles precious nutrients from old moribund growth into the soil.

8. Cape Point is home to many wildlife

Cape Point, Cape Town, South Africa by Romaine –

These include Mongooses, chacma baboons, porcupines, bontebok, zebra, eland, ostrich, grysbok, leopard tortoises, chameleons, lizards, and snakes such as boomslangs, cape cobras, puff adders can all be found here.

9. There are two lighthouses at Cape Point

There are two lighthouses at Cape Point, only one of which is still in operation as a nautical guide. While still a popular tourist attraction, the old lighthouse built in the 1850s no longer functions, it sits too high above the ocean and is often covered by clouds. 

Ships approaching from the east could also see the light too easily, often causing them to approach too closely. Because of this, they often wrecked on the rocks before rounding the peninsula. In fact, it was the wreck of the Lusitania, on Bellows Rock below the lighthouse in 1911, which prompted the construction of a new, more effective structure.

10. Cape Point is one of the best areas in the world to observe ocean birds

Seafaring birds spotted at Cape Point are albatrosses, gannets, petrels, gulls, cormorants, and oystercatchers. Birds of prey include the African goshawk, black eagle, rock kestrels, and owls but most exciting of all is the peregrine falcon. 

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world and can reach speeds up to a whopping 280km an hour when striking its prey.