In Photos: The Raw Landscapes of Cape Point, South Africa

There’s a unique energy at Cape Point around sunrise, and there’s no better time to start a trip to the most south-western corner of Africa. The gates to the 7,500-hectare Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve open as the first rays of the sun reach up over the distant mountains, and the ensuing light display on the skies above and the vast False Bay waters below are worth the trip.

No two days at Cape Point are alike. Calm days are few and far between, and instead you’re more likely to learn why this hostile promontory, together with its surrounding oceans, earned the region the moniker the Cape of Storms. When the winds howl and the turbulent oceans swirl you’ll have a new appreciation for the intrepid explorers who rounded this bay with the most rudimentary equipment. And on the calmer days, you’ll relish the silence as small fishing boats head out into the bay, and seals, dolphins, whales and sharks are often seen basking in the clear waters below.

Although it’s neither the southern-most point on the continent, nor the official meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans – as many people erroneously believe – that hardly seems to matter when you find one of many isolated view sites and look out toward Antarctica or take a gentle stroll along the pristine beaches.