Western Cape Coast : Danger Point

Where is it?

Latitude: 34° 37’ 48,8” S
Longitude: 19° 18’ 10,9” E

How to get there:

Take the N2 from Cape Town and branch off onto the R44 at Somerset West to take in beautiful scenery to Gansbaai, passing Gordon’s Bay, Bettys Bay and Hermanus en route. Danger Point Lighthouse lies approximately 10 kilometres to the south west of Gansbaai, a small fishing village on the Atlantic side of Cape Agulhas. The lighthouse is positioned on the end of a small peninsula called Danger Point.

Of interest

Sea and weather conditions and the rocky coastline make up a bad combination for passing ships, but a good reason to have a fine lighthouse positioned there.

It was here in 1852 that the H.M.S. Birkenhead struck an uncharted rock, one and a half kilometers off Danger Point and sank, with 445 souls on board. The Birkenhead rock as it is now called has claimed many a vessel. The Birkenhead Memorial is also located on site.

The lighthouse was commissioned on 1 January 1895 and has proved to be very beneficial to passing shipping. It is a white octagonal masonry tower, 18,3 meters in height and its light can be seen for 25 sea miles.

We all know about the BIG 5 but what about the BIG 2 – whales and sharks.

Gansbaai offers some of the finest boat-based and land based whale watching in the world with some spectacular sightings being seen of the Southern Right Whale from the safety of a boat, whilst great white sharks can be viewed up close by undertaking a cage dive.

Tours for shark and whale watching can be arranged from the harbour. The area is renowned for its hundreds of species of fynbos and protea. Hiking, fishing, sailing, surfing, boat cruises, hot springs and sight seeing tours are just some of the many activities available in the area.

Visiting Hours

Mondays to Fridays

10h00 to 15h00

Weekends & Public Holidays

May to September - By reservation only
October to April
10h00 to 15h00 (As from October 2005)

Entrance Fee

Adults :	R13.70
Children under 12:	R6.90
Pensioners:	R9.20
Adult Tour Groups:	R9.20
Students (with ID cards)	R9.20
School Groups:	R5.70

Contact Details

Central Reservations Office

Tel: 021 - 449 2400
Fax: 021 - 449 5625
lighthouse.tourism@transnet.net

Please note:

ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT
Arrival time is @ 15h00
NB - a fee of R150.00 per hour payable for late departure
Deposit payable = 20% (No refund if cancelled in less than 7 days prior to occupation)
Breakage deposit R400.00 (Refundable)

Banking Details

Bank Name :
Branch :
Branch Code :
Account Name :
Account Number :

Standard Bank
Sea Point
02-41-09
Transnet National Port Authority - Lighthouse Services
07-109-009-6

Seasons

In Season Dates

03/12/2005 to 22/01/2006
18/03/2006 to 05/05/2006
24/06/2006 to 23/07/2006
18/09/2006 to 08/10/2006
03/12/2006 to 21/01/2007
19/03/2007 to 03/05/2007

Out of Season Dates

23/01/2006 to 17/03/2006
06/05/2006 to 23/06/2006
24/07/2006 to 17/09/2006
09/10/2006 to 02/12/2006
22/01/2007 to 18/03/2007
04/05/2007 to 21/06/2007

On offer

Guided tours of the lighthouse

Curios and memorabilia on sale

Self-catering accommodation - 1 self-catering cottage accommodating 4 persons

Accommodation