Cape Point

The Cape of Good Hope gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. If you leave after closing time, there will be a fine payable, so be sure to adhere to the times indicated at the gate when entering the park.

October - March

• Entry (exit by sunset): 6:00am - 6:00pm
• Funicular: 9:00am - 5:30pm
• Two Oceans Restaurant: 11:00am - 5:30pm
• Food Shop: 9:00am - 5:30pm
• Gift Store: 9:00am - 5:30pm

April - September

• Entry (exit by sunset): 7:00am - 5:00pm
• Funicular: 9:00am - 5:00pm
• Two Oceans Restaurant: 11:00am - 5:00pm
• Food Shop: 9:00am - 5:00pm
• Gift Store: 9:00am - 5:00pm

• Take in some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery of oceans and mountains in the world.
• Ride the Flying Dutchman Funicular up to the viewing point below the old lighthouse (Cape Point).
• Sample world-class cuisine at the Two Oceans Restaurant and enjoy some of the most breathtaking views, featuring expansive vistas of the coastline, mountains, and ocean over False Bay.
• Shop for curios and mementos at the Three Cape Point Shops.
• Discover cultural and historical spots.
• Great swimming spots, picnic sites, and walks at the Bordjiesdrif and Buffels Bay tidal pools.
• Photograph the more than 1,100 indigenous plant species that grow nowhere else in the world.
• Watch massive whales moving past Cape Point on their annual migration (around June to October).
• Keep an eye out for 250 bird species occurring here, including some endemic to the area.
• Spot the Cape mountain zebra and the world’s largest antelope, the eland, among a variety of other fauna.
• Walk the shipwreck trail to view a few of the 26 recorded shipwrecks around Cape Point.
• Hike along a wide variety of scenic and overnight trails through natural fynbos and along sandy beaches.
• Take part in a range of exciting outdoor activities, such as sea kayaking and mountain biking.
• Explore a wide variety of stunning dive sites that lie waiting to be explored on both sides of the Point.
• Always keep a lookout for the legendary ghost ship – The Flying Dutchman!

• Shipwreck Trails - The Cape of Storms, is the original name accorded to the present Cape of Good Hope, and is known as one of the most notoriously dangerous coastlines in the world. Evidence of multiple shipwrecks can still be seen today around Cape Point.
• Olifantsbos Point - From this viewpoint on the Atlantic side of the Peninsula, look towards where the Lusitania collided with Bellows Rock in 1911, and it is also home to three other shipwrecks namely the Thomas T Tucker (wrecked in 1942), the Nolloth (wrecked in 1965) and Le Napoleon (wrecked in 1805). Today, there is no visible wreckage of the Nolloth, and the outline of the Le Napoleon and some cannons are often visible near the car park.
• Phyllisia - Take a stroll down the Kleinkommetjie route to view the remains of the Phyllisia, a steam trawler wrecked in 1968. The walk is approximately 1.5 hours each way.
• Buffels Bay - As legend has it, its name was earned from a ship that was wrecked during the 1700s, transporting buffalo, and apparently got hit by the rocky shoreline and broke apart. Some visible wreckage may also be visible of the Tania, a fishing trawler wrecked at Buffels Bay in 1970.
• Cape Town - A walk all the way to the rugged and rocky Cape Point will take you to the site from where the legendary ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, has been sighted over the years.

Cape of Good Hope Trail

This is a two-day, one-night hiking trail that follows a circular route of 33.8km. It begins and ends at the entrance gate of the Cape of Good Hope where secure overnight parking is provided.

Accommodation is offered by three overnight huts, namely the Erica Hut, the Protea Hut, and the Restio Hut.

The following facilities are provided at the huts:

• Shower
• Toilet
• Solar Lighting
• Bunks with mattresses
• Water
• Two-plate gas stove
• Outside braai place

• Lion’s Head - Approximately 2km one-way
• The Pipe Track - Approximately 6km one-way
• Platteklip Gorge (to Upper Cableway Station) - Approximately 3km Up
• Upper Cableway Station to Maclear’s Beacon - Approximately 5.5km overall
• Skeleton Gorge to Maclear’s Beacon: the Smuts Track - Approximately 4km

There are enthusiastic volunteers who are now offering free guided walks at Cape Point. The meeting point for all hikes is just inside the main gate on the 2nd Sunday of each month (adjustments are made in March and November due to race days).

Fynbos is unique to the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest yet most biologically diverse of the world’s six floral kingdoms. This biodiversity hotspot is a testament to the area’s ecological importance, drawing both nature enthusiasts and scientists alike.