Agulhas National Park in Southern Africa
Agulhas National Park
Agulhas National Park is situated on the breathtaking coastal plain at the southern-most tip of Africa, with its rich cultural and natural heritage. Agulhas is packed with mysteries and adventures, capturing the spirit and imagination of explorers. Cape Agulhas is approximately 230 km from Cape Town. It can be accessed via the N2 route.
One of the great mysteries associated with this region, is the legendary 'Cape of Storms' where many ships were wrecked en route to the east via Cape Agulhas. Stories left by ancienttribes are also spread across the landscape dating back thousands of years up to the Khoi-khoi.
Accommodation for tourist is available in nearby towns such as Struisbraai and L'Agulhas. The Agulhas National Park is still in its development phase and currently has no facilities available.
Agulhas National Park has many attractions within the confines to keep all visitors entertained and amused such as:
1. The southern-most point of Africa.
The official position of the tip is 34° 49' 58" south and 20° 00' 12'' east. The exact location of the tip is marked with a cairn marks the tip's exact location. This is the official meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
2. Graveyard of ships
This unique graveyard along the Agulhas coastline is the final resting place for The Zoetendal, Birkenhead and Armiston. As a visitor you can see all the showpieces from these shipwrecks on display at the Bredasdorp Shipwreck museum.
3. The lighthouse at Cape Agulhas
The lighthouse, which is the seconds oldest working lighthouse in southern Africa, was built as an aid to early explorers on their passage of the rough seas off Cape Agulhas. Stone mined from the adjacent limestone quarry provided the raw materials for its construction of the lighthouse as well as the seventy-one steps that lead up to the top. The lighthouse also house it's own museum with artefacts such as the remains of ancient stone fish traps used by the Khoisan.
4. Fynbos
The Agulhas Plain comprises of unique vegetation such as limestone fynbos. Although most species bloom between May and September, there are flowers to be enjoyed in any season. Agulhas has roughly 2000 species of indigenous plants including 100, which are endemic to the area and over 110 Red Data Book species.
5. Whale watching in season
Cape Agulhas offers some of the best whale watching opportunities. Every year from May to October more and more Southern Right whales are venturing into the warm shallow waters along the South African coast to mate, give birth and nurse their calves. During this period they are visible from the beach.
The Agulhas area has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Prevailing winds blow from the southeast in the summer and the northwest in the winter.The Agulhas area receives approximately 450 mm of rainfall per annum
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