The Cape of Good Hope embodied the hopes of the Portuguese, who in the 15th century sought the way to India. Initially, it was called the Cape of Storms, but King Joan II was superstitious and therefore decided to rename this point on the Cape Peninsula. Today, the Cape of Good Hope is one of the important strategic sites of the African continent. Once he helped ships get from Europe to the Far East, now remains popular due to their landscapes, which attract millions of tourists.

How to get here

You can get to the Cape of Good Hope, located on the Cape Peninsula, from Cape Town. The road by car takes about four hours. Time will pass unnoticed, because on the way you will meet a very beautiful terrain: savannah, along which ostriches, antelopes, baboons and other animals roam, mountains, nature reserve.

If you go further, you can get to Cape cape - this is the southern tip of the peninsula, the road to which lies through picturesque bays.

The Cape of Good Hope is the most extreme south-western point of Africa. It is impossible to make a mistake, since this fact is confirmed by scientists and an inscription with exact coordinates, installed on the site in front of the cape. But the Cape Peninsula at this point reaches its southernmost point and, leaving to the north, ends at Cape Point Point.

Reserve

The road to the Cape of Good Hope inevitably leads through the eponymous reserve. It is distinguished by lush vegetation, which hinders the movement, if you travel on foot. The largest density of plants is on the Cape Peninsula. It is almost impossible to pass, you need a car. The reserve covers more than 7 thousand hectares. Here there are plants that are not found in other corners of the globe.

To match the vegetation and fauna of the reserve - its uniqueness lies in the fact that in the vicinity of monkeys, cheetahs and antelopes live penguins. Yes, it's the penguins that we used to see only in the coldest places of the planet. The fact is that they were able to swim to Africa from Antarctica and settled here.

Previously, the penguins felt almost the owners of the reserve and quietly went to their neighbors in search of food. But then, apparently, when other animals got fed up with such anarchy, the penguins got a separate territory. It's called Boulders Beach.

By the way, if you go further along the coast, you can meet the friends of penguins - seals, who have set up a formal rookery near the Cape of Good Hope.

Beaches

At the Cape of Good Hope, there are beaches where you can relax and sunbathe. Here come as big companies, and the whole family. On the beach there are even places where couples can retire, hide from prying eyes.

The bathing season usually lasts from September to May. During this period there is sunny weather, so you can safely go for a tan. The rest of the days on the beach there is really nothing to catch.

Mayak

The lighthouse is one of the main attractions of the Cape of Good Hope. It was built in 1860, and its height is 240 meters above sea level. In South Africa this is the highest lighthouse. Unfortunately, it does not work, because one day it could not help the Portuguese ship - the lighthouse was covered by clouds, and the vessel, not seeing the signal, hit the stones.

From the site you can see a wonderful view of two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. The waters of these oceans wash both sides of the cape. If you look closely, you can see that the oceans differ in color. Waves very quickly run on rocks and break about them, leaving traces of white foam.

Excursions

Usually excursions to the Cape of Good Hope include a visit to the reserve, as well as beaches with a refuge of penguins. We will tell you more about several places that are worth seeing. On the coast of the Gulf False Bay, or "Fake Bay", along the mountains a winding road is laid. It allows you to get to the town of Simonstown, where the British Royal Navy used to be based.

The very coast of the Cape of Good Hope has its own characteristics. For example, on the western side the climate is softer, here are beaches, sandy beaches, an atmosphere of silence and tranquility. In the east it is warmer, but strong winds blow, which prevent to swim and enjoy landscapes. On this part of the coast, not all risk swimming, tourists prefer to just sit on the shore and breathe the ocean air.

The island of fur seals is of great interest to travelers. Its area is only 4 square kilometers - small for the island, and it conducts its turbulent history from the 17th century. The matter is that for three centuries here there was a prison, a military base and a hospital. And it was on this island that the freedom fighter and future president of South Africa Nelson Mandela was serving his sentence. In 1999 the island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, a museum opens about the history of the country. Tourists can visit the prison courtyard and the cell.

Neighborhood of the Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

Panorama of the coasts of Cape Town