Description
Trip up the spiral staircase of Cape Columbine Lighthouse and gaze at jaw-dropping views of the formidable Britannia reef and Atlantic Ocean.
Fortress-like and spectacularly situated on a windswept headland, Cape Columbine Lighthouse is usually the first lighthouse sighted by ships coming from South America and Europe.
The prominent rocky point is just five kilometres from the quaint fishing village of Paternoster and is definitely worth a visit. Not only to explore the lighthouse, but also for the stark beauty of the surrounding Columbine Nature Reserve. In spring the reserve is strewn with wild flowers and the coastline is renowned for its sea life, particularly crayfish and abalone.
Built in 1936, Columbine was the first South African lighthouse to receive all three navigational safety features – a light, a fog signal and a radio beacon. The impressive lens system was also the first designed to use a 4kW incandescent electric lamp instead of wick or petroleum burners. Today it is one of the last manned lighthouses on the South African coast and offers interesting guided tours.
Mondays to Fridays: 10:00 – 15:00
Weekends and public holidays: October to April 10:00 – 15:00; May to September by reservation only
Entrance fee: adults R13.70; children under 12 R6.90.
Cape Columbine Lighthouse Map
* We rely on Google's mapping service, and the location information supplied to
us to show street view images. Please use street view as a guide only as we cannot
guarantee its accuracy.
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Customer Reviews
Reviews
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Beam me up
Samantha Black
12 August 2011
Peer over the frothing Atlantic Ocean and Cape Columbine Nature Reserve with gulls riding the wind around you. The long trip up the spiral staircase to this lofty lookout is well worth it for the sweeping views alone.
Accommodation near
Cape Columbine Lighthouse
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