CAPE TOWN Day 2

Starting Point: Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa. This misconception was based on the misbelief that the Cape was the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Contemporary geographic knowledge instead states the southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas. The currents of the two oceans meet at the point where the warm-water Agulhas current meets the cold water Benguela current and turns back on itself. That oceanic meeting point fluctuates between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point.

Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach is a sheltered beach made up of inlets between granite boulders. It is a popular tourist stop because of a colony of African penguins which settled there in 1982. These African penguins are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa (South Africa & Namibia) and are currently on the verge of extinction. From just two breeding pairs in 1982, the penguin colony has grown to about 3,000 birds in recent years. The most popular recreational spot is Boulders Beach, but the penguins are best viewed from Foxy Beach, where newly constructed boardwalks take visitors to within a few meters of the birds.

Directions: After leaving the Cape of Good Hope, turn right onto Main Rd/M4. Turn right onto Bellevue Rd. Turn left onto Grant Ave. Turn right onto Secluse Ave. Park and walk to the beach.

Chapman’s Peak Drive

Chapman’s Peak is the name of a mountain on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. The western flank of the mountain falls sharply for hundreds of meters into the Atlantic Ocean, and a spectacular road, known as Chapman’s Peak Drive, hugs the near-vertical face of the mountain, linking Hout Bay to Noordhoek. Chapman’s Peak Drive was hacked out of the face of the mountain between 1915 and 1922, and at the time was regarded as a major feat of engineering.

Directions: From Secluse Avenue, turn right onto Bellevue Rd. Turn right onto Mcfarlane Rd/M4. Turn left onto Glencairn Expy/M6. Turn left onto Noordhoek Main Rd/M6. Stop at the many lookout points on Chapman’s Peak.