Cape of Good Hope is that special place in South Africa where history and legend join hands to surface together in the raging waters of the Atlantic Ocean, while the Indian currents make their task difficult.
Cape of Good Hope is that special place where sea lions sometimes flirt with whales, under the watchful gaze of ostriches, elands, zebras, and baboons from the shore.
Cape of Good Hope is that special place with the false title of being the southernmost point of the African continent. A hoax that slightly upsets the nearby Cape Agulhas, the true owner of such geographical distinction.
Cape of Good Hope is that special place that you have to escape to, no matter what, during your stay in Cape Town. But before going, I recommend planning the visit a bit and for that here I give you a lot of practical information about this must-see on your route if you are going to travel to South Africa.
Cape of Good Hope, a little history
You are going to visit a place where history still hides crouching among the grass where zebras and elands graze, on the rocks of the cliffs and in the rusted iron of shipwrecked vessels. It was the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias who was the first to sight and round the Cape of Good Hope sailing from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean back in 1487.
And it was this explorer who named it the Cape of Storms due to the danger of its currents, a name that King John II of Portugal immediately changed to the Cape of Good Hope, as he still believed it was the gateway to the route to the Indies to expand trade. His faith was true as proved shortly after by Vasco da Gama when he managed to sail to India.
The ferocity with which Diaz spoke of this cape was also true, so much so that in 1500, he died in its waters precisely after a powerful storm that sank his ship and three others that accompanied him.
The fact is that in these almost southern waters, many ships have been shipwrecked. The remains of up to 21 shipwrecks have been recorded in the coastal waters of this cape. The oldest are those of the French schooner La Rozzete from 1786. It so happens that the last ship to lose the battle against the cape was also French, specifically a barge that in 1994 ran aground along with the crane it was transporting.
Where is the Cape of Good Hope
If you haven’t located it yet, I’ll tell you that this place is located south of Cape Town, at the tip of the Cape Peninsula. It is considered the southwesternmost point of Africa. It belongs to the Table Mountain National Park, formerly called the Cape Peninsula National Park.
This protected area is also part of the Cape Floral Region, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, for being one of the areas in the whole world with the greatest floristic richness.
A good example of these are the proteas, beautiful and unique flowers that you will see in the meadows of the Cape of Good Hope. These flowers grow on shrubs that are part of the fynbos covering much of this region.
Cape of Good Hope map with the places to see
When you think of this place, you only think of that geographic point with its corresponding legendary coordinates sign. But Cape of Good Hope is much more; if you want, you can spend a full day in this area of the Table Mountain national park, also known as the Cape Point Nature Reserve looking for whales from the coast, contemplating sea lions and more animals, doing trekking, visiting the impressive Cape Point viewpoints, having a picnic, walking along its wild beaches such as Platboom or Diaz.
I leave you a map of the Cape of Good Hope with the main places of interest
In my case, I visited it on a day trip from Cape Town on my own by car and with three very young children. We visited the Cape of Good Hope all morning and on the way back we stopped for lunch in Simon’s Town to see the Boulders Beach penguins. I’ll tell you what I visited, bearing in mind that at the tip of the lighthouse there was a lot of fog which forced us to return earlier than planned because we couldn’t see anything. If it’s a nice day, I recommend spending more time.
What to see and do in the Cape of Good Hope
–Stroll along Platboom Beach. This spectacular beach of fine white sand is a must-see in the Cape of Good Hope. There is a small parking lot from which to go down to the sandy area to enjoy the views, contemplate all kinds of birds and, with luck, see ostriches or other animals walking there.
-Cape of Good Hope. The most photographed spot is, without a doubt, the sign indicating the coordinates of this cape, the southwesternmost point of the African continent. Be patient as there is usually a queue to immortalize that moment.
Nearby, I was lucky enough to see a colony of sea lions frolicking on top of a tiny stone islet.
-Cape of Good Hope hiking trail. From the sign, there is a trekking of about two and a half hours to the old lighthouse located at Cape Point. I really wanted to do this route, which they say is simple but with spectacular views of the ocean and cliffs. From here, they say it is possible to see whales between June and November.
Additionally, this trail is an access point to the stunning Diaz Beach in honor of the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias.
– Go up to Cape Point by funicular. If you want to save yourself the approximately twenty-minute walk up to Cape Point from the parking lot, you can reach it aboard a funicular that in a few minutes leaves you almost at the foot of the historic lighthouse built in 1859 on top of a rocky crag about 250 meters above sea level. If I went back, I would go up by funicular and walk down because the views were worth it.
The price for the funicular to Cape Point is 90 rands for a round-trip ticket or 75 rands one way for adults. Children from 6 to 16 years old pay 50 rands for round trip or 40 rands one way. Children under 6 go up for free.
The funicular hours are from 9 am to 5 pm (until 5:30 pm from October to March)
–Look out from the Cape Point viewpoints. I had the bad luck of the fog completely covering the views of cliffs that looked like they were much more than imposing. If you have better weather than I did, you can take a walk from viewpoint to viewpoint along the network of trails and let your gaze get lost in this crossing of oceans.
-Walk to the new lighthouse. From Cape Point, the Lighthouse Keeper’s Trail starts, which takes you to the new lighthouse that was built in the 20th century at the tip of the cliff to replace the old one. In one hour you can go and return along a path that requires no difficulty.
-Find the crosses of Vasco da Gama and Diaz. Both navigators have individual crosses as a tribute. Both are near the Buffelsfontein visitor center where you can stop to get information about the park.
-Electric bike route. If trekking is not your thing, this option to explore Cape Point by electric bike might appeal more to you. It is a different and fun way to immerse yourself in the landscapes of this unique natural environment by pedaling without so much effort. You will, of course, be accompanied by a guide, they pick you up in Cape Town, and lunch is included.
–Take a dip in saltwater pools. The currents at Cape of Good Hope are very dangerous, but you can take a dip and swim in the saltwater pools located at Buffels Bay and Bordjiesrif Beach (they are marked on the Cape of Good Hope map I posted above).
At both locations, you can have a picnic or even a barbecue in a unique natural setting. However, be very careful with the baboons as they can be very dangerous.
-Whale watching. Here the luck factor plays a decisive role. But if you go between June and November, you can approach areas such as Rooikrans or the Smitswinkel Bay viewpoint to see, from land, whales jumping, showing their tails, or simply swimming.
In the absence of whales, you will be able to see many animals such as eland, ostriches, zebras, baboons, and a multitude of birds.
-Spot shipwrecks. The Cape of Storms earned that nickname given by Bartolomeu Dias due to many shipwrecks. You can still see shipwrecks from the coast, remains of sunken ships, both in Buffels Bay and in Olifantsbos, on the opposite coast of the Cape Peninsula.
How much does it cost to enter the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope belongs to Table Mountain National Park so to enter you must pay a fee at the checkpoint upon arrival.
- Entry to the Cape of Good Hope is 376 rands (about €21) for adults and 188 rands (about €11) for children from 2 to 11 years old.
Children under 2 enter for free and children aged 12 and over pay as adults. These prices are valid from last November 22 to October 31, 2023.
The access is included in the Wild Card, the annual tourist card that gives access to all national parks in South Africa.
Opening Hours
Be aware of the opening hours for Cape of Good Hope so you don’t get caught by the closing of the gates, in this case, the barriers. Note that if you lose track of time and leave later than the established hours, you will have to pay a fine of 500 rands.
- Winter (April to September) from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Summer (October to March) from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
How to get to Cape of Good Hope
Unfortunately, there is no public transport option that takes you to the entrance of Cape of Good Hope, nor one that travels through the park, whose dimensions make it impossible to explore on foot. Here are several options on how to get to Cape of Good Hope.
By car
The most convenient way is to do it in your own vehicle, in my case a rental car that I picked up at Port Elizabeth airport and returned at Cape Town International Airport before flying back.
The fastest way to go from Cape Town to Cape of Good Hope by car is via the M3 road heading south, towards Muizenberg, and then taking the M4 road that runs parallel to the False Bay coast passing through Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town, next to the Boulders Beach penguin colony. It will take you approximately one hour from the city to the entrance gate.
However, it is also possible when going, or coming back, to cross through the interior of the Cape Peninsula and drive along the other side passing through the scenic toll road Chapmans Peak Drive (be sure to check the website beforehand as it can sometimes be closed due to bad weather), through Hout Bay, where you can see sea lions, and by Camps Bay beach from where you have a beautiful view of the mountain range known as the Twelve Apostles. In this case, calculate around an hour and a half, not counting stops to see everything mentioned above.
On an excursion to Cape of Good Hope
If you don’t have a rental car or enough time, a good option to visit Cape of Good Hope is to book a guided tour from Cape Town. There are several to choose from, such as this very comprehensive private tour of the Cape Peninsula, where you are accompanied by a Spanish-speaking guide and which, in addition to taking you to Cape of Good Hope, takes you on a tour of the other points of interest on the peninsula for a total of 9 hours.
Less comprehensive, stopping only to see the penguins, and also in a group, you have this other excursion to Cape of Good Hope with pickup in Cape Town.
And if you have very little time in Cape Town and don’t want to miss the essentials, this excursion offers you almost everything in just one day. It must be exhausting, but it can be a good solution when you have few days. You start by visiting Bo-Kaap, go up to the top of Table Mountain, they take you to Cape of Good Hope driving along Chapman’s Peak Drive and stopping beforehand to see the penguins.
By tourist bus
During my self-guided visit to Cape of Good Hope, I was surprised to come across one of the typical double-decker tourist buses with an open roof and Spanish audio guide that travel around cities. So if you are looking for how to get to Cape of Good Hope, this is a very good solution given the lack of public transport.
However, when I started researching, be careful because the traditional ticket for the Cape Town tourist bus does not offer the route to Cape Point. You will have to buy the ticket online for the route known as the red line, which is officially called ‘Cape Point & Penguin Explorer tour’; you have the option to pay more and have it include the entrance fees to Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach to see the penguins.
Are there places to eat inside?
Yes, there are two places to eat inside Cape of Good Hope. Both are next to each other, in the Cape Point car park, next to the funicular station.
On one hand, there is the Two Oceans Restaurant which has a panoramic terrace with spectacular views. That is, provided the wind allows you to sit outside. In case of a gale, don’t worry as they also have tables inside. Here you can see the menu and prices. During high season, it is recommended to book.
The other option is a small take away located next door where you can buy sandwiches, pizzas, and salads to eat at one of the tables outside or take with you wherever you want. To give you an idea of prices, the cheapest sandwich cost 70 rands, as did the simplest salad, while pizzas were around 80 rands. Everything around 4€.
Another idea is to bring food and have a picnic on one of the spectacular beaches. However, watch out for the baboons as they don’t mess around.
Where to stay in Cape of Good Hope
Inside the park
Did you know it’s possible to sleep inside Cape of Good Hope? Being within a protected environment, the only three existing accommodations belong to SANParks, the government agency that manages South Africa’s national parks. Therefore, it is only possible to book them through their official website and you need to do it well in advance.
–Olifantsbos Guest House. If you manage to get a place to sleep in this very special cabin by the sea, you will have hit the jackpot. It has three double rooms and an outdoor area with a barbecue. The price ranges between 4,230 and 5,290 rands, depending on the season, which is between 214 and 268 euros.
–Duiker Cottage and Eland Cottage These are also within the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park, but located further inland. Both cabins can accommodate up to six people and are more economical. Prices are between 1,340 rands in low season and 1,690 rands in high season, which is approximately between 68 and 85 euros.
Outside the park
It is much easier to find where to stay near the Cape of Good Hope. Just outside the park, you have great high-quality hotels at a very good price that are really worth it. I recommend staying at least one night to save you the drive from Cape Town, so you will have more time to explore the Cape and also see the penguin colony in Simon’s Town more leisurely.
Here are two very different options:
-Central Hotel Guesthouse Right in the center of charming Simon’s Town, this hotel is located in a historic building where you can stay for very little money and enjoy a great breakfast according to its guests.
–Aqua Terra Boutique Guesthouse Treat yourself to a stay in a suite from which, with luck, you can see whales, and cool off in an infinity pool for much less money than you imagine.
The importance of travel insurance
A trip to South Africa requires taking good travel insurance to cover you against possible unforeseen events that could ruin your adventure and/or your pocket. The simple act of taking out a policy with good coverage hardly takes any time, costs much less than you think (from only €47 you already have travel insurance for 15 days in South Africa) and it can save you in many situations.
I recommend Mondo travel insurance, which is the one I took on this trip to South Africa as well as many others. I especially like it, besides of course for the peace of mind it provides, for its app which includes a 24-hour medical chat to be able to consult on how to proceed at any time.
Take advantage now of the 15% discount for being a reader of this blog, but only until April 2, 2023. I hope you don’t need to use it.
Keep reading about South Africa: Travel to South Africa: practical guide Hotels in South Africa What to see in Cape Town Guide to visiting Table Mountain The best day trips from Cape Town Visiting the Cape of Good Hope What to see on the Panorama Route Wild Card, is it worth it? South Africa with kids 10 restaurants in South Africa to go with kids Guide to traveling to Eswatini Hlane National Park Hermanus, the paradise of whales
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