Cape of Good Hope Vacation Packages and Tours

Overview

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula to be experienced on South Africa tours. English sea captain Sir Francis Drake called it “the fairest cape in all the world” and it has maintained special significance to sailors over the years who refer to it simply as “the Cape”. It was given the name Good Hope by a Portuguese explorer because of the optimism associated with the opening of a sea route to India and the East.

The Cape is said to be the home of the legendary Flying Dutchman, a ship crewed by damned sailors who are forced to sail the waters without ever succeeding in rounding the headland. Part of the Cape is located in Table Mountain National Park which is famous for the ‘tablecloth’ of clouds that cover the top of the mountain.

The position of the Cape between two major ocean currents marks the point where a ship begins to travel more eastward than southward. This position also ensures rich and diverse marine life with the east and west coasts contrasting due to differing sea temperatures. Hosting a wide variety of wildlife the Cape is a good spot for bird watching. Chacma baboons have lived in the area for approximately one million years and are the mammals most commonly associated with the Cape of Good Hope.

Rich in maritime history, seeped in culture and considered some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, the Cape of Good Hope is a favourite stop on South Africa tours.