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Cape Point and Table Mountain

Cape Point is the southern most tip of the Cape Peninsula, extending southwards into the Atlantic, and encapsulating Vals Baai (Fake Bay) Bartholomew Dias described this coast as "a frenzy of wind and sea..." during his 1487 voyage, and therefore it was named "Cape of Storms". But when Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape, the weather and sea was much kinder to him. He named it "Cape of Good Hope", as it did indeed become a good omen as he sailed on to discover India. Monuments of both these intrepid explorers can be found at Buffels Bay.

The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve covers some 7750ha, and is natural haven to many unique plants, and animals. The whole Nature range from Signal Hill (the small hill to the right of Table Mountain) to Cape Point contains at least 2250 plant species, which is 500 more than in the whole of the British Isles! The whole of Tasmania is a thousand times larger that the Peninsula and has fewer than half our number of species. Some of the plants in the reserve are found nowhere else in the world.
The 1086m Table Mountain is visible from more than 200km out to sea, and therefore is the perfect viewpoint to see the magnificent Cape Peninsula. Cable cars carry visitors to the top for panoramic views of Cape Town and the Peninsula. Just make sure you go there early, or be ready to stand in a looooong queue.