The Cape of Good Hope

I believe no trip to South Africa is truly complete without a visit to the Cape of Good Hope. We arrived there on 28 May 2013 - exactly 525 years after the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Diaz first sailed past this point. At the time, he named it the Cape of Storms, a fitting description of the treacherous seas he encountered, before it later became known as the Cape of Good Hope.

Much has since been learned about the geography of the Cape Peninsula. Contrary to popular belief, the Cape of Good Hope is neither the southernmost tip of Africa nor the exact point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge. Those distinctions belong elsewhere, but the Cape remains one of the most iconic and symbolic landmarks on the continent. Read more from here.

L' Aguihas or Cape Aguihas is the southernmost point of the African Continent.

Still, standing there in 2013, it felt as though little had changed since 1488. The Cape of Good Hope remains a rugged, windswept headland - barren, rocky, and untamed. The Atlantic waves crash relentlessly against the cliffs, and the wind howls with a raw, elemental force that makes you feel as if you’re standing at the very edge of the world.

There are no souvenir shops, no hotels, no restaurants, and not even the basic comforts of a toilet or a shaded shelter at this iconic site. The only man-made additions are a paved road, a roundabout, and a car park - practical structures built simply to handle the steady stream of travelers who make the pilgrimage here. They come, as we did, to pose for photographs and to feel, if only for a moment, the same awe and wonder that sailors must have felt more than five centuries ago.

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The Cape of Good Hope lies at the southwestern tip of the Cape Peninsula, a place steeped in history and legend. Yet, the spot that often captures even more fascination is found at the southeastern tip of the peninsula - Cape Point. Towering cliffs, dramatic ocean views, and the iconic old lighthouse make it a destination not to be missed. Read here for more about Cape Point.

The Cape of Good Hope viewed from The Cape Point.

Old lighthouse at the Cape Point.