Agulhas National Park

On the 14th September 1998 the 4 ha of land around the Southermost Tip of Africa was officially registered as a National conservation area. This was the beginning of the future Agulhas National Park (ANP), today the ANP covers 21 000 hectares.  ANP falls in the Cape Floristic Region of the Western Cape.  It is situated in the Agulhas Plain at the southermost tip of the African continent where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans officially meet. This developing Park was proclaimed specifically to conserve the lowland fynbos vegetation types and important wetlands.  It also includes a significant cultural-historical heritage:  from the ancient fish-traps left by Late Stone-Age people to the second oldest working lighthouse (1849) in South Africa.  The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is a national heritage site and houses the only lighthouse museum in Africa. The coastline is dotted with shipwrecks, having met their fate en route to and from the East via Cape Agulhas.  The birdlife is exceptional with a choice of fynbos, wetland and coastal birds. Soon visitors to the Park will be able to stay in a newly constructed rest camp and some old Strandveld historical houses which were fully restored in 2009.  Come and experience the windswept ruggedly beautiful coastal plain at the southermost tip of Africa, with its rich cultural and natural heritage.

Facts & Figures
PROCLAIMED:	1999, first purchased land, Southern Tip of Africa
REASON FOR PROCLAMATION:	To conserve the lowland fynbos vegetation types and important wetlands
SITUATED:	On the south west Cape coast, ± 230 km from Cape Town
SIZE:	21,148.9 hectares
CLIMATE:	Mediterranean, hot dry summers and cold wet winters
TEMPERATURE:	21˚C in summer and 14˚C in winter
RAINFALL:	Between 400-600mm, with 60-75% of the precipitation occurring between May and October
WINDS:	Westerly in winter, and south-easterly in summer
FOG:	About 20 days per annum
SEA:	Shallow, with the 30 m isobath situated between 3 and 8 km offshore
SHORELINE:	Both rocky and sandy beaches, backed by sand dunes, including rare hummock-blowout and playa lunette dunes situated between Brandfontein and Cape Agulhas
GEOLOGY:	Calcareous sands of the Tertiary age, coastal mountains are Cape Fold Belt sandstone, capped in sections by limestone
ARCHAEOLOGY:	People have occupied the Agulhas area for well over a million years.  Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Early Stone Age (ESA) tools occur locally.  Large numbers of Later Stone Age (LSA) sites have been recorded: Die Walle, Hoek se Baai, Gruis se Baai, Oubaai, Bloubaai, Vlei se Bank, Rasperpunt and Cape Agulhas, shell middens are densely clustered inshore of the rocky shoreline. Well-preserved tidal fish traps occur at Cape Agulhas, Rasperpunt and Suiderstrand, most likely built by pre-colonial LSA people.
COLONIAL HISTORY:	The earliest travelers to the Strandveld area were DEIC employees sourcing meat from the local Khoekhoen.  Employees were also sent to rescue shipwreck people and salvage what was left.   In the 1700’s, the Europeans settled as stock farmers, to supply the Company with supplies, pioneering the merino wool farming industry in South Africa