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Cape Town lighthouses provide early warning signals to ships to notify them of submerged rocks, miasmic mists, and phantom ghost ships just to mention a few of the hazards of the Cape Coastline, so it's not surprising that numerous lighthouses in and around Cape Town are required to warn of these dangers.
Robben Island Lighthouse
As early as 1657, Robben Island had fire beacons to warn ships of its dangers, but there are nevertheless many shipwrecks along its shores. A lighthouse with a range of 24 sea miles replaced the beacons in 1863.
By this time Robben Island was home to the 'living dead' - the sick, mad, criminal and politically inconvenient were dumped here to live without much prospect of seeing their friends or relatives again.
Greenpoint Lighthouse
The red and white candy-striped Greenpoint Lighthouse in Cape Town was the first of two built along this hazardous shipping stretch, often enveloped by winter fog. When the mist descends, its booming foghorn can be heard for miles out to sea. The distinctive Green Point lighthouse in Cape Town is sometimes erroneously referred to as Mouille Point Lighthouse , which was built in 1842 and demolished in 1908.
Cape Point's First Lighthouse
The most powerful light of the South African coast beams out from Cape Point, to forewarn sailors of its notorious dangers. On a calm day the ocean looks mild mannered, but changeable winds, criss-crossing currents and submerged bedrock have brought many ships to disaster. The original Cape Point lighthouse was too high up and often enveloped in mist, so a new one was built lower down in 1914, which emits an incredible 10 million candlepower.
Cape Agulhas Lighthouse
The Cape Agulhas lighthouse is about 2,5 hours drive from Cape Town and warns of the Agulhas Bank at the southern most point of Africa. The area is beset with dense fog, unpredictable currents and dangerous seas and worth a visit for its portentous atmosphere. This lighthouse is very distinctive with a red and white banded tower in the Egyptian style of the Pharos of Alexander, and hosts a fascinating museum to its150-year old history. Nearby is the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum exhibiting relics dating back to 1647. Distance to Cape Town is approx. 300KM
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