Cape Agulhas Lighthouse

A Henri Lepaute lens was originally installed in 1849 and replaced by a first-order Chance Brothers lens in 1910 producing 470,000 candlepower, and a Chance Brothers petroleum-vapour burner in 1921. It was electrified in 1936 increasing the power to 12 million candela. In 1968 the limestone tower fell into disrepair and was replaced with a 75.5ft (23m) aluminium tower supporting a 300mm Stone-Chance four-panel catadioptric lens giving a white flash every five seconds at 1,069,000 candlepower. Local preservationists intervened and in 1988 the original tower and light were recommissioned. The aluminium tower was used to replace the old cast-iron tower at Quoin point (between Agulhas and Danger Point) while the Stone-Chance optic was installed at the Groenriviermond light in Namaqualand north of Cape Town. Cape Agulhas now serves as the official lighthouse museum of South Africa.

This is South Africa's third oldest light station and second oldest surviving lighthouse (after Green Point). The lighthouse marks the southernmost point of Africa at latitude 34°50' S and the junction of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at longtitude 20°01' E; the ultimate tip of the continent is 1 km (0.6 mi) west southwest of the lighthouse. This historic light, surely one of the world's great lighthouses, was deactivated in 1968 when deterioration of the sandstone walls made the tower appear unsafe. Twenty years of public effort led by the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum secured a complete restoration and reactivation in 1988. Today the keeper's house includes a lighthouse museum and a restaurant.

The lighthouse consists of a round tower, 27 metres (89 ft) high and painted red with a white band, that is attached to the keeper's house, which now contains a museum and restaurant. The design of the building was inspired by the Pharos of Alexandria. The focal plane of the light is 31 metres (102 ft) above high water; the range of the 7.5 megacandela lantern is 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi). The rotating optic gives off one white flash every five seconds. The lighthouse is 171 years old.

Site open, tower open daily year round (admission fee).