The African Gourmet

The early Portuguese navigators named Africa’s southernmost tip Cabo das Agulhas, or Cape of Needles, after noticing that their compass needles showed little magnetic deviation and pointed almost due north when passing this point. The dangers of this treacherous coastline prompted the construction of a beacon to warn mariners to stay clear.
 
The original Agulhas lighthouse, commissioned on 1 March 1849, stood 27 m in height and was built from limestone in the style of the ancient Pharos lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt. After 117 years’ service, it was replaced by a new lighthouse commissioned in 1966. Appropriately, the old lighthouse has served as the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum since 1994. The only one of its kind in Africa, the museum provides an account of the development of lighthouses through the ages and the history of the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse in particular.
 
Also on display are lenses, lanterns, gas burners and foghorns. About 1 km west of the lighthouse, the southernmost tip of Africa (34° 49′ 58″ south and 20° 00′ 12″ east) is marked by a cairn and plaque. L’Aghulhas is the southernmost town in Africa, and is a popular holiday destination, especially during the summer months.