Cape Point Nature Reserve
After your Great White Shark cage diving and breaching trip with Rob Lawrence and African Shark Eco-Charters, why not spend the rest of your afternoon soaking up the spectacular scenic views of the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
Situated at the tip of the Cape Peninsula 60 km south-west of Cape Town, the Cape Point Nature Reserve falls within the southern part of the Table Mountain National Park; a declared World Heritage Site. There is a misconception that Cape Point is the southern-most tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the southern-most point is Cape Agulhas, which is situated about 150 km to the east-southeast.
Cape Point is a nature enthusiast’s paradise, with roughly 7 750 hectares of a rich variety of flora and fauna. Cape Point Nature Reserve has an abundance of buck, baboons and Cape Mountain Zebra, as well as over 250 species of birds. The natural vegetation of the Cape Point Nature Reserve and the Table Mountain National Park, fynbos, comprises the smallest but richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms.
Cape Point is home to two lighthouses. The first lighthouse was built 249 meters above sea-level and was completed in 1859. It was replaced by a new lighthouse after the Portuguese liner, the Lusitania, crashed just south of Cape Point under its guidance in 1911.The new lighthouse was built 87 meters below the original lighthouse, which is now used as the centralised monitoring point for all the lighthouses on the coast of South Africa.
Around the nature reserve there are numerous walking trails for you to explore. There is also a funicular, the ‘Flying Dutchman’, which transfers visitors up to the Old Lighthouse and viewing point where you will get to take in the scenic beauty of Cape Point and its surrounds.
Within the reserve you will also find the Two Oceans Restaurant which is famous for its seafood cuisine and for its superb wooden deck that looks out onto one of the most stunning ocean views in South Africa.
A visit to the Cape Point Nature Reserve is a great way to end off the day after your Great White Shark trip.
Picture taken by Rob Lawrence
