The Southernmost country of the African subcontinent, South Africa is home to some of the most scenic places in the world. With a large population and three capital cities namely Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town, South Africa is blessed with a multifaceted ethnicity. Home to over 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Robben Island and the Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa should undoubtedly be part of everyone’s vacation plans. A major scenic landmark in South Africa is the cluster of mountains including the Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, and the Table mountain. We will now look into an interesting insight of the Signal Hill which offers mesmerizing views of Cape Town.
Facts about the Signal Hill
The Signal Hill is 350 metres tall and flat-headed. Signal Hill is located in close vicinity to the Lion’s Head and the Table mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. The Signal Hill is also known as Lion’s Ramp or Lion’s flan and when you view the Signal Hill in close proximity to the Lion’s head, it resembles the Lion Sphinx of Giza located in Egypt. Apart from taking in the mesmerizing views of the hill, you can also indulge in some adventurous activities including paragliding and hiking to take in the beauty of the Signal Hill in its totality. The best part about Signal Hill is the enchanting sunset. This will be the perfect spot for an evening at leisure in the company of your partner.
As the name suggests the Signal Hill was used to give signals in the past regarding weather conditions. When the Dutch had established their base in Cape Town, they had set up lookout points in three different hills and one among them was the Signal Hill. The Signal Hill was used to send out gunshots as signals to alert people in times of need or if there was an emergency. Even today, the Dutch naval guns exist atop the Signal Hill and at 12:00 noon, gunshots are fired on to the air, thus earning it the name as “Noon Gun.”
How to reach the Signal Hill
South Africa generally has self-drive options available for you but you can also opt for a seat-in-coach basis of travel. To visit the Signal Hill, you can take a bus that goes up to the top and from there, the viewpoint of Signal Hill would be at a walkable distance. If you have chosen your travel on a self-drive basis, you can drive up to the viewpoint yourself.
Entry fee and timings
The best part about visiting the Signal Hill is that there is no entry fee and it is absolutely free for anyone to visit. As far as the timings are concerned, there are no fixed time slots but it is better to not visit the Signal Hill after dusk. The best time to visit the Signal Hill would be during sunrise or sunset as you will get magnificent views of the horizon and the entire city of Cape Town.
Let alone the Signal Hill, there is a hoard of other attractions that you can look forward to during your trip to South Africa. All you have to do is logon to pickyourtrail.com for some amazing deals. From on trip support to customising your itinerary as per your preferences, you can look forward to the best vacation ever! What are you waiting for? Start planning and Happy travelling!