In 1488, the traveler B. Dias discovered a cape previously unknown to geographers and named it Cape of Storms, or in Portuguese Cabo das Tormentas. Somewhat later, João II decided to rename it the Cape of Good Hope, which was connected with the cherished dream of the Portuguese ruler to reach distant India from this starting point. As the locals say, two giant oceans “meet” at this cape – the Atlantic and Indian. In the second half of the 19th century, it was decided to build a lighthouse on the cape, which would warn sailors at night about the proximity of land. This historical monument can still be seen now; it is one of the few attractions of the territory we are describing that attract hundreds of tourists from all over the globe. You can get to the lighthouse on foot or by cable car, the ticket for which is relatively inexpensive. If, after everything described above, a picture appears in your imagination that shows a deserted area with a lonely towering lighthouse, then you are mistaken. On the territory of the Cape of Good Hope, which, by the way, is 7,750 hectares, there are many different trees, shrubs and other “representatives” of fauna. There is even official data that this territory contains the largest number of plants in the world per hectare of land. But that's not all. While at the Cape of Good Hope, you can observe the natural way of life of baboons, monkeys, ostriches, leopards, wildebeest, cheetahs and other animals. Along the seashore there are hundreds of penguin nests, which are so accustomed to the attention of overseas guests that they practically do not pay any attention to their presence. After the walk, if you wish, you can get acquainted with traditional cuisine in a nearby restaurant, as well as visit a souvenir shop. This historical reserve is open daily.
The Portuguese sea traveler Bartolomeu Dias first came across the Cape of Good Hope. This significant event took place in 1488. He named it the Cape of Storms. But the Portuguese King João II did not like this name, and he ordered it to be renamed the Cape of Good Hope, hoping that the name would somehow appease the depths of the sea and the path to India would be open, which later happened.
The Cape of Good Hope is the symbol of South Africa. The cape is located on the Cape Peninsula. From Cape Town it takes 4 hours to get here. Time will fly by: beautiful savannas, walking ostriches, baboons, antelopes - all this looks extremely beautiful and organic.
Further the path goes through the reserve with the same name. The surface of the earth here is covered with dense low vegetation, so it is almost impossible to move on foot, only by car. The plants growing in the reserve cannot be seen anywhere else on the planet.
The fauna is also unique. There are monkeys, cheetahs, rhinoceroses, lions, and other predators here. And most importantly, along with these representatives of hot Africa, penguins roam here. You definitely won't see anything like this anywhere.
At the Cape of Good Hope you can sunbathe and swim on the beaches. Swimming season from September to May.
The main attraction of Good Hope is, of course, the 240-meter-high lighthouse, built in 1860. Today the lighthouse does not work, because it is often shrouded in clouds and ships still cannot see it. But it is equipped Observation deck. Leads to her cable car, you can also walk. There is also a restaurant and a souvenir shop here. Climbing onto the platform, you get the feeling of flying over two oceans. Here is the meeting place of the Indian Ocean with the Atlantic, in honor of which there is even a special aquarium in Cape Town. On one side the cape is washed by one thing, on the other by another. If you look closely, you will notice that the oceans are slightly different in color.
From the Cape of Good Hope you can take a boat to Seal Island. On this same small island, only four sq. km, there was once a prison, and now a museum telling about the historical events of the country.
Cape of Good Hope on the map of Cape Town
The Portuguese sea traveler Bartolomeu Dias first came across the Cape of Good Hope. This significant event took place in 1488. He named it the Cape of Storms. But the Portuguese King João II did not like this name, and he ordered it to be renamed the Cape of Good Hope, hoping that the name would somehow appease the depths of the sea and the path to India would be open, so far..." />
To find the Cape of Good Hope, sailors set out on their journey more than once, suffered failures and wrecks, but did not stop searching - the road to India must be open. It was the rocky cape, which is the most extreme point in southwest Africa, the place where the waters of two oceans collide with each other, forming a seething white stripe crashing against the rocks, that opened the way for them to Asia.
The Cape of Good Hope is located in Africa and is the southernmost part of the Cape Peninsula, from where it turns north and after forty-five meters abuts Cape Point, at the foot of which, on the opposite side, begins False Bay, whose waters are heated warm current Indian Ocean.
The temperature of both air and water in the east of the peninsula is much warmer than on its western side, where the Benguela Current flows from Antarctica. True, the winds blow stronger here and tourists are rarely allowed to calmly soak up the warm rays.
Despite the fact that the Cape of Good Hope has long been considered the most extreme point of Africa, it is actually Cape Agulhas (on the map it is located more than one hundred and fifty kilometers in a southeast direction).
This cape is notable for the fact that from here the African coast turns east for the first time and opens a passage between the Atlantic and Indian oceans (you can accurately calculate where the Cape of Good Hope is on the map using the following coordinates: 34° 21′ 32.88″ S. , 18° 28′ 21.06″ E).
History of discovery
The Cape of Good Hope was discovered at the end of the 15th century. Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias, to whom the king set a specific task. It was necessary to find out whether it was possible to go around Africa from the south and get to India. For his country, located in western Europe, it was extremely costly to organize land expeditions to Asia.
The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope happened by accident, and unexpected help was provided by a terrifying storm that mercilessly tossed the Portuguese ships for several days: when the ocean calmed down, it turned out that Dias had no idea where the bad weather had taken him. He randomly went north and after some time found himself off the coast of Africa, which turned in an easterly direction.
True, he did not sail further: provisions were running out, the ships were in poor condition, and the crew rebelled. They decided to return home, and on the way he noticed a cape, rounding which he saw that the coast of Africa stretches north, home.
It is interesting that initially, having seen the ocean waves beating against high rocks, he decided to call this piece of land the Cape of Storms.
But the king of Portugal did not like the ominous name, and he gave it a more optimistic name - the Cape of Good Hope, hoping that the road to India had really been discovered. His hope was justified: a few years later, Vasco da Gama, having passed the Cape of Good Hope, sailed to India.
Cape lighthouses
Calling the rocky area of land protruding into the sea Cape Storms, Dias gave it a fairly accurate name: strong currents, winds, storms, fogs, and sometimes icebergs floating into this area led to the wreck of a huge number of ships. An important role in this was played by the fact that the rocks along the coast were not only similar to each other, but also often shrouded in fog.
This often threw sailors sailing from India off course: they turned north ahead of time and ended up in False Bay.
If they were lucky, the ships would hit the sandy shore, but mostly they would just crash on the rocks. This bay is notable for the fact that it is not always possible to get out of it on a sailing ship - despite the fact that it is very windy here, you can easily spend almost six months here waiting for a suitable air flow.
Despite all these circumstances, the authorities on the cape built a lighthouse only in the middle of the 19th century. - and then, after during one of the inspections, inspectors noticed icebergs floating towards the coast. Ice blocks off the coast of Africa shocked them so much that the decision to build a lighthouse and observation post here was made almost immediately. It was built on the nearby Cape Point Mountain, which offers a magnificent view of the Cape of Good Hope.
Lighthouse No. 1
Construction of the first lighthouse was completed in 1860. It was located at an altitude of 270 m - and it could be seen from a distance of 80 km. There was one “but”: it was designed in Britain, so the British, unfamiliar with the climatic features of southern Africa, did not take into account one detail: the top of the mountain on which it was decided to install the structure was often shrouded in clouds at night, making the lighthouse absolutely useless. At the same time, it “served” for about half a century, until journalists paid attention to the problem.
The first case that attracted widespread public attention was the wreck in 1900 of the newest steamship Cockapoo, which was heading from Britain to New Zealand. Deceived by the lighthouse and low clouds, the captain gave the wrong command, as a result of which a high tidal wave threw the ship onto the coast. The authorities managed to hush up this story, accusing the captain of negligence.
But the crash that occurred eleven years later could not be silenced: the huge Portuguese liner Lusitania hit a reef a few kilometers from a working, but completely obscured by clouds, lighthouse. It was possible to save the passengers (there were almost eight hundred people on the ship) only because the ship sat very firmly on the reef, which gave time to launch all the rescue boats.
The lighthouse keeper, having received the distress signal, descended with a lit lantern, orienting the liner's crew and allowing almost all the boats to land safely on the shore, except one (it capsized and four of its passengers died). The decision to build a second lighthouse was made, but this one was closed and now serves as a museum, with magnificent views from the observation deck.
Lighthouse No. 2
Despite the fact that the new lighthouse is located lower, at an altitude of 88 meters, and can be seen at a shorter distance, 40 km, its benefits were much greater - shipwrecks in this area were almost reduced to zero. At the end of the 20th century, an electric cable was laid to the lighthouse, restaurants were erected, a funicular was installed leading from the parking lot to the top of the mountain adjacent to the cape, Cane Point, and after conducting an appropriate advertising campaign, they gave impetus to the development of a successful tourism business.
National Park
The Cape of Good Hope is separated from the second most populous city in South Africa, Cape Town, by almost seventy kilometers, and therefore you can get from the capital of the Western Cape Province, armed with a map, by car on a very good road in four hours.
The road will not seem boring, since the path here lies through the Table Mountain National Park, whose area exceeds 7 thousand hectares, and it is distinguished by extremely lush vegetation.
The fauna of the reserve is also interesting: next to monkeys, ostriches, antelopes and cheetahs, spectacled penguins and fur seals feel great here, which not only sailed here from Antarctica, but also managed to adapt to the conditions of local life.
Spectacled penguins
Penguins live on west coast called Boulders Beach. It was no coincidence that they chose this place of residence: the cold waters of the Bengal Current help the birds endure the heat - they spend most of their time in the water. And only during nesting, in winter, when the air temperature becomes more or less optimal, do they stay on land for a long time. Interestingly, they hatch their eggs in burrows that they dig in the decomposed remains of bird droppings, which helps protect the eggs from overheating.
They are enabled to maintain optimal body temperature by pink-colored markings located above the eyes and acting as a kind of air conditioner: when birds become very hot, heated blood begins to flow faster to the markings, where, thanks to the thin skin, it quickly cools.
Seal Island
Sometimes fur seals rest near the cape, having swam here from their rookery, located on a small island, immediately behind the lighthouse, in False Bay (about 75 thousand animals live on it). Such a huge colony could not help but attract the attention of white sharks constantly swimming into this bay.
Therefore, from May to September, the island of fur seals is literally surrounded by predators who patiently wait for prey, and as soon as they see an opportunity, they jump out and grab the seal with their teeth and go to the bottom. Interestingly, False Bay is the only place in the world where sharks jump completely out of the water while hunting.
The Cape of Good Hope is perhaps the most famous cape in Africa. Where is the Cape of Good Hope? On the territory of the Republic of South Africa, or more precisely, on the Cape Peninsula.
First mentions
A lot of swear words were said by the sailors about this place that was disastrous for them. The history of navigation tells of the exorbitant efforts many navigators and pioneers had to make to overcome the ocean currents, rounding this cape.
Who discovered the Cape of Good Hope? This question cannot be answered unambiguously. Now, based on information from historical sources, we can say with confidence that the first to visit this place were the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt back in 500 BC.
Egyptian sea voyage
This happened during the reign of Pharaoh Necho II, who set out to return economic stability to his state. To do this, it was necessary to find a way to deliver Egyptian goods to Europe, that is, find a workaround there. A delegation of hired Phoenicians was sent to the eastern side of Africa, where the sailors hoped to find workarounds. This journey lasted for three whole years, and several times the Phoenicians interrupted it by landing on Earth to grow something edible, since the supplies were not designed for such a long period. Africa turned out to be so vast. The Cape of Good Hope probably became their landing site, and then the travelers rounded it. Upon their return, the discouraged Phoenicians said that they were shocked by how one day “the sun suddenly appeared on the north side,” therefore, they crossed the equator.
The idea of finding a workaround was unsuccessful, and further travel was not profitable. Expenses exceeded income, and for more than two thousand years no one attempted to sail here.
Bartolomeo Dias: the one who discovered the Cape of Good Hope
At the end of the 15th century, many wealthy Europeans were ready to pay any money for pleasant and expensive luxury items from distant India. However, the path there was blocked by vast Muslim lands, because the followers of Muhammad’s teachings did not strive to improve relations with Europe and normalize trade relations. Consequently, it was necessary to look for another route - by sea.
The first attempts to find it were made by the Portuguese. Juan II sent an expedition to find a bypass route to the country of elephants. At the head of the expedition was who, possessing perseverance and endurance, nevertheless swam with his team to the Cape of Good Hope. But what work! Hellish currents, hostile attitude of the natives. Members of his crew mutinied on ships many times. They demanded to return to their homeland, because most of them had lost hope of finding a way to India. To the question “Where is the Cape of Good Hope?” None of the sailors, including Bartolomeo Dias, could answer. Since these were the first people to swim to it, they could not know its exact location relative to the continents. And it didn’t have a name either. Then B. Dias, impressed by the torment that this place brought them, called it “Cape of Storms.” This is how the Cape of Good Hope was discovered. The year in which this event occurred (1488) marked the beginning of the history of this mysterious and unusual place.
Return of the Portuguese sailors
Another surge of discontent among Dias’ team led to the expedition turning back. The sailors flatly refused to continue the journey, which seemed endless to them. They saw no point in further attempts to go to the East, because it was as if the elements themselves were against them and sent numerous storms. But, despite the fact that the sailors did not reach the coast of India, King Juan II was pleased with the results of the expedition, considering the “reconnaissance” successful. The only thing he didn’t like was the scary name given to the cape by Bartolomeo Dias. The king considered that the cape needed a different name, which would inspire travelers that the cape was not the main obstacle on the way to India, but the first step leading closer to it. Therefore he gave this place the name "Cape of Good Hope". Geographical coordinates: latitude: -34.358056; longitude: 18.471944
The Journey of Vasco da Gama
A few years later, another Portuguese, Vasco da Gama, was the first to sail along the route of the first expedition and made a corresponding note in his logbook. He wrote that as a result of lengthy and skillful maneuvers, his ship passed the Cape of Good Hope. The lyrical name really became the key to the luck of the Portuguese. The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope by Vasco da Gama dates back to 1497. This navigator reached the shores of India, which he reported to the king upon his return. Thus, Vasco da Gama fulfilled the main goal of his journey. But the development of the territory of South Africa was not included in it.
Discovery of the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch as a transit point for the sea route
The founding of the port city of Cape Town (from the English “city on the cape”) is the merit of the Dutch. It was they who discovered the Cape of Good Hope as the first transshipment point between Rotterdam and India. It was here that the sick were treated and the ships of the Dutch East India were supplied with water and food supplies. The local native population initially welcomed the guests cordially. But in the late 60s of the 17th century, when Europeans began to intensively destroy Cape Town, the natives began to be forced out of their native lands and forced into slavery. On this basis, long bloody conflicts began.
Disputes over the Cape
The British knew who discovered the Cape of Good Hope and who founded Cape Town. But this did not stop them from taking away southern Africa from the Dutch in 1795. Now this territory began to be called the “colonial province of the Cape of Good Hope.” Among the population were the descendants of the first colonists - the Boers, which means “peasants” in Dutch. The new order caused them strong discontent, and then, overcoming the resistance of the Zulus on their way, they moved to the north of the continent.
Liberation from the colonial regime
Until the end of the 19th century, the Boers lived separately, and the territory inhabited by them received the unspoken name “Boer republics”. But when it was discovered that these lands contained large deposits of diamonds and gold, the British again turned their attention to the rebellious Boers. From 1899 to 1902, the brutal Anglo-Boer Wars continued, as a result of which Great Britain nevertheless captured the territory of the Boer republics. Now all of South Africa (including the Cape of Good Hope) was under the control of the British.
Only more than half a century later, in 1961, the period of long colonial dependence was completed. Now this territory was called as follows: Republic of South Africa.
The Legend of the Flying Dutchman
This legend is the most intriguing and famous story of the Cape of Good Hope. She has a great many variations. Sometimes the names of the main characters in it differ, but the plot in any case has the same meaning. It was in this place that the captain of one of the Dutch ships was cursed. His reputation was, to put it mildly, not very good. He was known as a foul-mouthed and blasphemous man. This captain's name was Van Stratten. He always had a whip with a lead plaque on the end in his hands, in case anyone got caught. The backs of many sailors were forever covered with scars from savage beatings with this whip. Van Stratten's ships often carried African slaves, who died by the dozens along the way. Dead bodies were usually thrown overboard. That is why there were sharks as escorts near the ships of this captain, waiting for the next “handout”. Well-fed and satisfied, they delighted the cruel captain with their presence; he jokingly called them “my little fish.” On one of the voyages, the ships were caught in a severe storm. Just then they were rounding the Cape of Good Hope, the coordinates showed exactly this, because it was impossible to see anything in such bad weather. All the sailors begged the captain to turn back in order to wait out the rampant elements.
It is not difficult to guess that Van Stratten responded with a nasty curse. He said: “No way! I'll still swim! I will not retreat even if the world ends. I will even give my soul to the devil, but I will survive this storm.” It was at that moment that the heavenly gates opened, and the voice of the Almighty was heard: “You said it! Now swim!” The devil took the captain's soul. Since then, Van Stratten's ship has been drifting restless and doomed off the coast of the cape. All the sailors and the foul-mouthed captain himself are now doomed to eternal life, to immortality in the expanses of water, without being able to land on shore. Meeting other ships, immortal seafarers strive to convey their letters to relatives who have long since died. Taking these letters is a very bad omen. If you do this, then the curse passes to the compassionate assistant.
Attractions
One of the most famous attractions is the National Nature Reserve, whose name coincides with the name of the cape. It is part of Table Mountain ( national park"Table Mountain")
A colony of a rare species of penguin called spectacled or black-footed penguin; Chacma bear baboon colony.
Of the geographical features, the most visited is the one that marks the southern tip of Africa.
South African Astronomical Observatory; the port city of Cape Town, where you can visit the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and the Two Oceans Aquarium; territory Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch, founded in 1913; the Castle of Good Hope estate, which is the oldest building in South Africa; South African National Gallery.
The Cape of Good Hope is famous for these places. Photos of some of them are given below.
Cape of Good Hope as the personification of human hopes
The name of the cape truly inspires hope. And even people who despair of their troubles and misfortunes, having visited this mysterious place, begin to believe in the best. The Cape of Good Hope becomes a guiding star for those people who have never been there, illuminating the lives of sick children with its name.
The Cape of Good Hope SD is a community of parents all over the world whose children are suffering. They unite in the fight for the health and full life of their children, giving each other hope for the best.
So, the answer to the question “Who discovered the Cape of Good Hope” is the navigator Bartolomeo Dias, who first set foot on the land of this truly magical place. It was he and his three small ships who first rounded this cape. Nowadays, many myths, stunning nature and attractions attract many tourists to the Cape of Good Hope.
The Cape of Good Hope is the most extreme point southwestern Africa. It is located on the Cape Peninsula and is washed on two opposite sides by the waters of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Many people say that in calm weather you can see how the two parts of the body of water differ in color.
In ancient times, due to large waves and constant winds, the rocky cliff was called the Cape of Storms; later King Juan II renamed it the Cape of Good Hope. He truly was the hope of the Portuguese navigators who were heading to India. Today this is reminded by the largest lighthouse in South Africa (240 m above sea level), built in 1860.
In the vicinity of the rocky coast there is a reserve of the same name. Due to the vegetation, it is almost impossible to get there by car.
There are beaches on the cape where you can relax and sunbathe.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.04.2016 08:52
Cape of Good Hope(Cape of Good Hope) is famous for having long been considered the southernmost point of Africa. Then they calculated that the southernmost point of the continent is Cape Agulhas, located one and a half hundred miles to the southeast from the Cape of Good Hope.
But no one knows Cape Agulhas, and the Cape of Good Hope is included in all school geography textbooks; it is associated with the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, this is what hundreds of thousands of tourists and travelers from all over the world strive to see.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.04.2016 08:56
It is known that the first European to see this African Cape of Good Hope was in 1488 Bartolomeo Dias, the famous Portuguese commander of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries.
The expedition of Bartolomeo Dias was given the task of finding a sea route to India around Africa. Dias did not reach India, but became the first European to circumnavigate Africa from the south. Indirectly, he was helped in this by the terrible storms that battered his ships for several days. When the storms subsided, the disorientated Dias headed north and on February 3, 1488 ran into the coast, which “turned” to the northeast.
And so the way was opened to Indian Ocean. Dias was forced to give in to the demands of the rebellious team and did not go further. On the way back, he saw this cape protruding into the sea, which he called the Cape of Storms, because severe storms were constantly raging in this place.
Dias announced this “working” name upon his return to Portugal in his report to King João II. But His Majesty was wise and far-sighted. He decided that it was not good to leave such a harsh name for the turning point, beyond which a direct sea route to India opened. And he suggested calling this place the Cape of Good Hope. Or in Portuguese Cabo de Boa Esperanca.
The cape lived up to its name. In 1497, Vasco da Gama's expedition rounded the Cape of Good Hope and finally reached the treasured shores of India!
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.04.2016 09:01
Today it is the territory of the Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. Nearest Big city Cape Town. The Cape of Good Hope itself is the national pride and tourist attraction of South Africa. It is organically integrated into the national park or reserve with the same name “Cape of Good Hope” or in English “Cape of Good Hope”.
As already mentioned, the Cape of Good Hope is not only not the southernmost, but also not the most southwestern point of Africa. The most southwestern point is the completely inconspicuous ledge of Cape Point, located fifty meters to the north. And it is on it that a lighthouse with the name “Cape of Good Hope” is installed. And an observation deck from where all tourists take their memorable photos.
And at the Cape of Good Hope there is a shield with the name and exact coordinates and the inscription “the most southwestern point of Africa.”
Location of the Cape of Good Hope on the World Map:
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.04.2016 09:04
You can get to the Cape of Good Hope, located on the Cape Peninsula, from Cape Town. The journey by car will take about four hours. Time will pass unnoticed, because along the way you will encounter a very beautiful area: a savannah where ostriches, antelopes, baboons and other animals roam, mountains, a nature reserve.
The Cape of Good Hope is the most southwestern point of Africa. It is impossible to make a mistake, since this fact is confirmed by both scientists and an inscription with exact coordinates installed on the site in front of the cape. But the Cape Peninsula at this point reaches its southernmost point and, going to the north, ends with Cape Point.
Excursions to the Cape of Good Hope
Typically, excursions to the Cape of Good Hope include a visit to the reserve, as well as the shore with a penguin haven. We'll tell you about a few more places that are worth seeing. On the coast of False Bay, or “False Bay,” a winding road is laid through the mountains. Along it you can get to the town of Simon's Town, where the British Royal Navy was previously based.
The coast of the Cape of Good Hope itself has its own characteristics. For example, on the western side the climate is milder, there are beaches, sandy shores, and an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. In the east it is warmer, but strong winds blow, which make it difficult to swim and enjoy the scenery. On this part of the coast, not everyone takes the risk of swimming; tourists prefer to just sit on the shore and breathe the ocean air.
The island of fur seals is of great interest to travelers. Its area of only 4 square kilometers is small for an island, and it has a turbulent history dating back to the 17th century. The fact is that for three centuries there was a prison here, military base and a hospital. And it was on this island that freedom fighter and future South African President Nelson Mandela served his sentence. In 1999, the island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A museum has opened here, telling about the history of the country. Tourists can visit the prison yard and cells.
You can get to the island by ferry, which leaves Waterfront every day until 15:00. On average, the excursion lasts 3.5-4 hours.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.04.2016 09:25
