Cape Agulhas: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

ООльгаSouthAfrica · Nov 11, 2011Read

At 8:30 (November 8th), Isaac (our guide) picked us up from our "lovely" hostel, and we set off on a three-day tour! First, we went to see the fur seals! While waiting to board the boat, some African singers arrived; they were so funny in their bright costumes and painted faces! They sang in a way that made you want to dance, which is basically what we did)) Then we finally got on the boat. When we hit big waves, the water splashed all over us… you could say I went for a swim in the ocean! My eyes were stinging for a long time afterward! When we finally reached the island, we saw a huge number of fur seals! They were swimming and somersaulting in the water—they are so cute! It’s impossible to describe! Afterward, we went to an ostrich farm, where they even let us feed the ostriches… And one bit my finger! It probably thought it was a worm! But nothing compares to the ocean… the ocean here is so beautiful, I’m just going crazy! I’m ready to watch it for hours! After the ostriches, we went to the Cape of Good Hope… and the ocean again! Mountains and ocean, ocean and mountains—I can’t describe the feelings I experienced sitting on the huge rocks and watching the ocean! But one thing is for sure: at that moment, I didn’t want to think about anything, just enjoy the view. Neither the wind nor the drizzling rain bothered me… Further from the cape, we climbed into the mountains… a very strong wind was blowing, and I thought I would be blown away, but we managed and reached a huge beach with white sand. I was running around like crazy, and the guys from Germany kept saying I was crazy! Until the downpour started! But we had to keep moving because Isaac was waiting for us at the top by the lighthouse on Table Mountain. We were soaked to the bone when an ostrich hen with her chicks blocked our path… we tried to shoo her away for a long time, but it was useless, so in the end, we had to climb through the bushes… and all this under a wild downpour—all in all, it was fun! I was soaked through. When we finally reached the car, I was wringing out my sweatshirt… but it didn’t help! South Africa is an unusual, very contrasting, and bright country! In the evening, we arrived at the hostel. There was good internet, and I was even able to talk to my mom and little sister on Skype. I miss them so much… The next day, we had a wine tasting. I’m definitely not an expert, as I didn’t like the wine at all) In the evening, we arrived in Hermanus, where the whales were… but they were kind of lazy, so only their backs were sticking out of the water… but even their backs made a huge impression on me! And in the evening, I had a bit of a breakdown because I really wanted to tell everyone how cool it is here, but my English clearly wasn’t enough for that… in short, it was hard for a chatterbox like me! At night, we went to the nearest bar and danced there almost until morning! In the morning, we set off for Cape Agulhas… So now I’ve been to two oceans! We climbed the lighthouse. If I weren’t so afraid of heights, I probably would have gone crazy again, but I only had one wish: to get down!) And… finally, penguins!!! Penguins-penguins-penguins!!! They are so funny! Believe me, you have to see it! Don’t read what I’m writing here; you need to see it all for yourself!

RravikJun 18, 2009Read

The town of Strand, located on the way to, say, Hermanus or Cape Agulhas, is famous for... Actually, I have no idea what it is famous for, or if it is famous at all! ? On Sunday morning, I was woken up by a phone call. “Semyon, hi! What are you doing?” I heard Irina’s cheerful and now familiar voice after picking up and pressing “answer”. “Huh? Me? Well… I… um, nothing yet!” I must have mumbled incoherently, my brain struggling to function after waking up. “What, are you sleeping or something?” my friend continued, just as cheerfully. “No… not anymore!” “Listen, Mahmud and I are heading to the beach! Want to come with us?” “Wait a sec,” I stammered, desperately but vainly trying to get my head in gear. Realizing that would probably take too long, I decided immediately, “Yes! I’ll go!” Why not, when invited? You shouldn’t miss a chance! No-no-no-no-no!!! “Alright then, we’ll pick you up in forty minutes!” concluded Ira. “Get ready!” “Okay.” And we hung up. I got up and shuffled off to wash. For the last week, I had spent most of my time working. Both at the club and, even more so, on my book (editing). And there was a lot of work ahead. So, a break was definitely in order. “Wherever we go,” I thought, “I’ll like it anyway! In all my time living in Cape Town, it has never happened that I went somewhere and didn’t like it! Especially if the place involved being close to nature. In this case, the ocean.” Mahmud stated with authority that the shores of the town of Strand (a rather cute town, by the way) are washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. To which I countered that the “Indian” only begins after Cape Agulhas. “No, it’s the Indian in Strand! The water is warm!” he offered as an irrefutable argument. The water, indeed, turned out to be quite suitable for swimming. And if it weren’t for the strong wind, it would have been simply lovely! But I, despite everything, still went for a swim and was quite satisfied with it. And I didn’t bother proving the truth to Mahmud—that we were still off the Atlantic coast, even if quite close to the Indian one. I didn’t want to walk back to Cape Town! He might have kicked me out. ??? And besides, Mahmud is excusable; he’s not from here himself. He’s from Jordan, I think. And he has citizenship here now. If you look at a map or, if possible, from a helicopter—Strand is in a little nook, in a bay. Almost in the center between Cape Point and Cape Hangklip. But closer to Hangklip, and therefore to Cape Agulhas as well. That is why, because it’s closer and because it’s a nook, and also thanks to the warm current from the Indian Ocean that reaches these waters and even extends further—to the Cape of Good Hope, the water on the shores of Strand-city is warm. But, of course, not like in Port Elizabeth, East London, or especially in Durban. After sunbathing and swimming, we moved on towards Hermanus. Mahmud wanted to stop by a wine farm to buy some good wine. The farm turned out to be closed; it was their day off too. But we did see a beautiful view. The road wound into the mountains, along the mountains, and down from the mountains. The town of Strand spread out right below us. I had driven past it once or twice, but this was my first time actually visiting it. And I didn’t know that the water temperature in the ocean washing its shores was quite acceptable for swimming. February 03, 2007

RravikJun 15, 2009Read

04:30, November 25, 2008. It is becoming a habit: switching off in the evening, getting up at night and engaging in... life. What surprises me is that the city doesn't seem to be going to sleep! In principle. Even when I'm driving home from work at five in the morning, there are enough people around who seem to have forgotten that sleeping is normal. It has become normal not to sleep. How unlike the Russian winter this is. What can one do on long, cold evenings back home? Read. Watch TV. Work. Sleep. And in the summer, to be honest, we don't sleep much either, especially in the center, somewhere on the pedestrian Kirovka. It is so beautiful, romantic, and modern not to sleep, but to enjoy life. Only, unfortunately, neither in Africa nor in any Russian megalopolis are night strolls as safe as in quiet and peaceful Europe. This is something we should also strive for. And now, for example, in the apartment where I live next door to Shane, he is sitting in the living room with his friends. They are watching TV, chatting, and seeing me, they also started doing laundry. I often see that they sleep during the day. But rarely at night. Sometimes I wake up at nine or ten in the morning, and they have fallen asleep in the same positions they were sitting in at night. Funny. What I like is that they are not noisy and don't drink like devils. Sometimes a little bit, but it's somehow harmless. Today (or rather, yesterday now) I had my baptism of fire. My first swim in the Atlantic on the South African side! I was lucky, I have been to this ocean from different sides: from the American side and from the European side. And yesterday we went with Stas. The water, for the first time for me in the Atlantic Ocean, was cold. But everyone says it's always like that here and no changes are expected. There you have another wonder of the world. Africa, summer, and the water in the ocean is low-temperature. It doesn't make sense, does it?! But everything is logical — the current from the Antarctic. And if you want it warmer, then you need to go to the Indian Ocean! And it's almost three hours away by transport. Probably the closest place is Cape Agulhas. Geography claims that this very cape is the border where the two oceans meet. They say the difference in water temperature on the right and left sides of the cape reaches ten degrees. It would be interesting to visit there. Well, maybe I'll get lucky. I'll hope! And if you have heard that the place where the two oceans meet is the Cape of Good Hope, I dare to assure you, that is a fairy tale for tourists! But there is another interesting fact already connected with the "Good Hope" cape: it was from there that the history of the city began. And with Cape Town began the history of today's South Africa. For many, it is associated with the name of the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias. There is a monument in his honor at the cape. I saw it, we drove past it on a bus at a distance of about one hundred and fifty meters. I will perhaps quote a part of the article "Walks through old Cape Town" by Apollon Davidson (dug it up on the Internet). It is written so fascinatingly there: "The old harbor. This is the one from the song of my childhood: 'In the port of Cape Town, with a hole in the side...' A few years ago, the old port was transformed. For a long time, Cape Town was called a 'seaman's tavern at the junction of two oceans.' Now the whole port has become a tavern, almost in the literal sense of the word. In the port facilities, there are cozy cafes, small restaurants, beer halls, attractions. In the old dry dock, there is a two-story row of shops. On the square, where previously only drunken sailors shouted, artists perform. However, in the evenings, they still shout here. Looking at the festive crowds of tourists, it is not easy to imagine with what difficulty the first navigators reached here. Colliding with each other, the waters of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean are rarely calm. Even the most experienced