After many years of complaints from sailors that the lighthouse on top of Cape Point Peak was often obscured by clouds or fog, the authorities eventually decided that a new lighthouse, located at a much lower altitude, should be erected. Another factor which hastened this decision was the wreck of the SS Lusitania, a Portuguese passenger liner which sank after striking Bellows Rock, a treacherous submerged reef some 3 kilometers south of Cape Point. The main reason for the disaster, which occurred on the 18th of April 1911, was that the lighthouse had been shrouded in low-hanging clouds.
The design and build was entrusted to Harry Claude Lee Cooper, who, in his capacity as Lighthouse Engineer to the SAR & H, had been an enthusiastic supporter of building more lighthouses in South Africa. He selected a site near the tip of the peninsular, 79 meters (259 feet) above sea level; it was low enough to avoid the issues associated with clouds and fog, but with sufficient altitude to ensure maximum visibility. |
It is commonly believed, even by the locals, that Cape Point is both the southernmost tip of Africa and the place where two oceans – the Atlantic and the Indian – meet, but this is not geographically correct. That distinction belongs to Cape Agulhas, which is approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) to the east. Be that as it may, this in no way detracts from the raw and splendid natural beauty of this rocky peninsular.
The area was originally named Cabo das Tormentas ("Cape of Storms") by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, who was the first European to sail around Cape Point in 1488. The Portuguese ruler at the time, King John II, believed that the name had a negative connotation, so he renamed it to Cabo da Boa Esperança (“Cape of Good Hope”). |
LSA Number |
17 |
Name |
Cape Point (New) |
Province |
Western Cape |
Location |
Cape Point |
GPS Coordinates |
S34.357060 E18.497190 34°21'25.4"S 18°29'49.9"E |
ARLHS Number |
SAF-007 |
Admiralty Number |
D6120 |
NGA Number |
32324 |
Active |
Yes |
First Established |
1919 |
Commission Date |
11 March 1919 |
Decommission Date |
Not applicable |
Construction Type |
Square stone tower |
Daymark |
Tower is unpainted stone; lantern painted white. |
Tower Height |
9 meters (30 feet) |
Focal Plane |
87 meters (285 feet) |
Luminous Intensity |
10,000,000 candelas |
Nominal Range |
32 nautical miles |
Characteristic |
Fl.(2+1)W. |
Period |
30 seconds |
Pattern |
Fl. 0.6s, ec. 3.6s; Fl. 0.6s, ec. 12.3s; Fl. 0.6s, ec. 12.3s |
Pattern Description |
3 white flashes in a 2+1 pattern every 30 seconds. |
Manned |
No |
Site Open |
No |
Fenced |
No |
Tower Open |
No |
Accommodation |
No |
Access Method |
Car + Hike |
Access Notes |
Although this site is not open to the public, it is possible to reach a viewpoint approximately 200 meters from the lighthouse which provides a good sighting. The walk to this point is long and fairly strenuous (about 1.4 kilometers), but the first 700 meters can be avoided by using the Flying Dutchman funicular railway (for a fee). |