It has been a while since we have visited our favourite Nature Reserve, Cape Point. This Friday past turned out to be a glorious sunny day after what feels like endless weeks of rain… we grabbed the day with both hands and headed south for an easy hike.
We Started off with a Lesson on Soil
We wandered down to the beach to gather some sand…
There is nothing like a good investigation…
Seriously…
A Visit to the Old Lighthouse…
You know when you have lived in a place all your life you kind of forget to visit the places right in front of you… I was a grown-up before I visited the lighthouse at Cape Point and not all my kids have been there. So Friday on a balmy blue-skied day we headed to the lighthouse. The southern tip of the Cape Peninsula is the perfect spot for a Lighthouse, particularly in a part of the world called the Cape of Storms. The Lighthouse that most visitors see is the original lighthouse that was built at the top of Da Gama Peak.
I walk up to the top is fairly steep, but well worth it and there is plenty to look at along the way.
Just saying, Cape Point is always a little bit blustery…
Looking down is fairly spectacular… as you can imagine.
We spotted a path…
And we decided to go exploring further…
From up top you are literally a million miles from almost everywhere.
The Lighthouse Trail
This was not our normal kind of walk, when we visit the game park… it wasn’t terribly wild. But the view spectacular and the walk fun, we decided to do the Lighthouse Keeper’s Trail as well. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Trail is a walk down to the actual Lighthouse at Cape Point. Most visitors just visit the original lighthouse on the hill, but it turns out it is a lovely walk down to the newer lighthouse that was built when folk realised that the original lighthouse was too high above “usual mist levels” and so proved a lot less useful as a lighthouse than they had anticipated.
It is an easy walk…
And if you are afraid of heights then you probably shouldn’t look down.
There are handrails where you need them…
Not everyone does…
Did I mention spectacular…
And you can see just how high the original lighthouse was, up there sitting on the cliffs.
It is a quick out and back walk and well worth adding the extra hour to your visit to the Point.
The Actual LightHouse…
Even on a calm day you can see why this is an essential location for a lighthouse.
There Was Wild Life of Course:
More Important, there were Whales.
And Spectacular Views
We Weren’t the Only Ones Enjoying the Beautiful Day
Other SAN PARKS Hiking Posts in the Cape Peninsula
- Se7en + 1 Tips to Great Hiking with Kids.
- Se7en + 1 Go Exploring in Newlands Forest.
- Se7en + 1 Head Up Skeleton Gorge…
- Se7en + 1 Climb Table Mountain to the Top…
- Table Mountain a National Park Right in the City Center
- Se7en + 1 Finally Made it up Elsies Peak.
Table Mountain National Park.
- Se7en + 1 Join SanParks for Madiba Day.
- Se7en + 1 Hike Through Dragon Rocks.
- The silverMine River from the Source to the Sea.
- The Easiest Family Hike in Cape Point.
- Dias Beach and Venus Pools at Cape Point.
- The ShipWreck Trail and Beyond…
- The Easiest Hike in Cape Point by Far
- Se7en + 1 Hike the Burn at Cape Point.
- A Family Friendly Hike in Cape Point Nature Reserve.
- Se7en+1 Meet Up with the Cape Leopard Trust and More Hiking in Cape Point: KanonKop to Smitswinkel Bay, overlooking False Bay.
- Se7en + 1 Go Out Walking: The SirkelsVlei Walk at Cape Point.
- Se7en + 1 Steps to a Great Rock Pooling Outing… Venus Pools.
- Se7en + 1 Steps to a Beach Clean-Up.
- Under an African Sky, We Went to Meet the Bontebok.
- A fynbos Hike through Cape Point Nature Reserve.
- Se7en+1 Join an Amazing Race in the Cape Peninsula Region of the Table Mountain National Park.
Silvermine
- A Scientific Discovery, Silvermine River Study and River Pollution in Se7en Steps.
- In Search of Spring at Silvermine.
- A Sensational Hike – in Silvermine.
- It’s Silvermine Again.
- Se7en Visit Silvermine.
- The Wild Card and Potential Outings.
This is so great Se7en! I didn’t know about the newer lighthouse so now I have to make a plan so TazzDiscovers can go find it too 🙂 xx
The views – just wow! I’m adding this to my list of “hopefully I’ll see this one day” but until then I’ll live vicariously through you!
Oh Wow! (Do I always say that?) Just amazing sights. What fabulous photos. Almost feel like I was on your walk. Lovely blue sky too. We seem to have the cloudy grey skies to walk under at the moment, so always wonderful to see your photos. And no. You can never take too many whale photos, as far as I’m concerned.
PLEASE put that stunning landscape one for your blog header 🙂 (the one right at the bottom)
Those photos are simply stunning. We went looking for whales last Thursday but found none
Hay Tami, for sure… your guys will love this little extra walk… it really is quite amazing to walk along this path with the ocean crashing on either side of you… Hope you guys have a brilliant week!!!
Hay Christi, live vicariously… live on, live on. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could visit one day. hope you have the best week ever!!!
Oh Cheryl, Thank you, although it has been wet, wet, wet over here…. we have been able to make the very best of the clear blue sky days. And as for whales… I could watch them all day every day, they are just so beautiful. Hope you guys have the best week!!!
Hay Marcia, so good to hear from you… and that is the most fabulous idea. I actually have another photo up my sleeve, but I can’t figure out how to change it out. How silly is that!!! Anyway, I hope you guys are having a fantastic week!!!
Oh Wendy, We have been quite lucky with our whale spotting this year. We didn’t see many in Hermanus, False Bay has been a much better bet for whales this year. Anyway I hope you all have the best week, we are so enjoying the slightly longer days!!!
oh, wow, WHALES!!! 🙂