The last stop on the Cape Peninsula after Cape Town and Simon’s Town was Cape of Good Hope.

It’s a common misconception that Cape of Good Hope is the most southern point of Africa and that it is the place where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet. This honour is reserved to the lesser-known Cape Agulhas, which I have also visited on this trip and which I will describe in more detail in a future post.

Cape of Good Hope can pride itself on the fact that it is the southern most tip of the Cape Peninsula. It’s around 50km away from Cape Town. It’s also known for the legend of the Flying Dutchman. It is said that the ship is manned by ghostly sailors who are doomed to beat through the waters without succeeding to reach the headland. Needless, to say I didn’t see the ship (but then, I didn’t visit at night…)

Animals

The Cape is home to a lot of animals. Apparently, you can find penguins here, but also zebras and antelopes, of which I haven’t seen any. As in any wildlife area, there are snakes, small mammals and bugs, of which I have seen too many. There are also a lot of baboons, which can already be spotted when you drive into the Cape area.

Plants

The plants in the Cape area are the most famous. The Cape is a UNESCO sight because it contains a fine-leaved plant called Fynbos, which is adapted to both a Mediterranean climate and periodic fires. This is unique to the Cape Floral Region.

Views

There is a beautiful old lighthouse on top of one of the peaks, which is worth visiting. The reason it’s the old lighthouse and a newer one has been built, is because this one was built too high which meant that ships saw the lighthouse too early and crashed into the cliffs. Also, whenever there was a fog, the lighthouse was invisible to the ships.

The best part of walking around Cape of Good Hope are the views.

Conclusion

Cape of Good Hope is a perfect day trip from wherever you are staying in the Cape Peninsula. I visited it from Simon’s Town and then continued on to Stellenbosch. One day is more than enough to see all you want to see from this area, and that’s mainly the stunning views.

Please note, this post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission for purchased goods/services at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my writing!