Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas is a significant geographical and historical landmark located at the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. The area was given the name “Agulhas,” meaning needles in Portuguese, because the compass needle points due north with no magnetic deviation.

Historically, Cape Agulhas was a significant point for early explorers, such as Bartholomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama, who rounded the Cape on their voyages to India. The cape was considered a navigational landmark for sailors, helping them determine their position.

Today, visitors come here to take pictures at the monument that marks the southernmost point of the continent, and to climb up one of the oldest working lighthouses in Africa (built in 1848) to get spectacular 360 views of the coastline. There are also numerous shipwrecks in the area, as the coastline around Cape Agulhas is notorious for its treacherous seas and strong currents. Some historical shipwrecks can still be explored.

Cape Agulhas

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