A sign on the path to the lighthouse at the Cape Point Peninsula visitor attraction, South Africa
Cape Point is a promontory at the south-east corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and very scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town are close to the northern extremity of the same peninsula. The cape is located at 34°21′26″S 18°29′51″E / , , about kilometres ( mi) east and a little north of the Cape of Good Hope on the south-west corner. Although these two rocky and beautiful capes are very well-known, neither cape is actually the southernmost point in Africa; that is Cape Agulhas, approximately 150 kilometres (90 mi) to the south-east. The peak above Cape Point is a little higher than that above the Cape of Good Hope and the higher peak has the old lighthouse on the top. A funicular railway 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 at the base of the lighthouse. From the end of the railway a second path leads to the lower peak. The new lighthouse is at sea level, for two reasons: the old lighthouse could be seen 'too early' by ships rounding the point towards the east, causing them to approach too closely. Secondly, foggy conditions often prevail at the higher levels, making the older lighthouse invisible to shipping. On 18 April 1911, the Portuguese liner Lusitania was wrecked just south of Cape Point at 34°23′22″S 18°29′23″E / , on Bellows Rock for precisely this reason, prompting the relocation of the lighthouse. The new location cannot be seen from the West until ships are at a safe distance to the South. The light of the new Cape Point lighthouse is the most powerful on the South African coast, with a range of 63 kilometres (39 mi) and an intensity of 10 megacandelas in each flash.
Size: 5100px × 3400px
Photo credit: © John Keates / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: africa, african, attraction, cape, mountain, national, park, path, peninsula, point, sign, south, table, tourism, travel, visitor
