Cape Point Nature Reserved

Although Cape Point is not the most southerly tip of Africa, as many people believe, it is one of the most beautiful parts of the African continent. The Cape Point Nature Reserve can be explored by several means, from hiking trails to helicopter rides.

Cape Point, the beautiful tip of the Cape peninsula, has become famous for its ocean views, the Cape Point lighthouse, as well as the extensive range of flora and fauna you'll find here.

The Cape Point Nature Reserve, encompassing 7 750 hectares of rich and varied flora along its 40km coastline, extends from Schuster's Bay in the west to Smitswinkel Bay in the east.

Cape Point's headland consists of three promontories: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point itself. The cliffs of Cape Point, more than 200m above the sea, provide the perfect lookout spot for whales, prevalent between May and November. Dolphins can be seen throughout the year.

Since 2004, the Cape Point Nature Reserve has been part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It also forms a popular part of the Table Mountain National Park.

The diversity, density and endemism of the indigenous flora here is among the world's highest – approximately 1 100 indigenous plant species, some of which occur nowhere else on Earth.

Many people just head straight for the lighthouse – but that would mean missing out on so much. On numerous scenic hiking trails, twitchers can spot some 250 species of birds, including sea birds, eagles, Cape sugarbirds and sunbirds, as well as endangered African black oystercatchers.

Mammal species found in the Cape Point Nature Reserve include antelope such as klipspringer, steenbok and eland, as well Cape mountain zebra and the peninsula's endemic Chacma baboons. Shy predators such as caracal and small-spotted genet patrol the crags, and Cape clawless otters frolic in rock pools.

Reptiles and amphibians are abundant. Fortunate frog fundis may catch sight of the very rare Table Mountain ghost frog or Cape chirping frog.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Cape Point lighthouse has a range of 63km and beams out 3 flashes, of 10 million candlepower each, every 30 seconds.