It is situated next to the town of Struisbaai and about 30 kilometres (20 mi) south of the regional centre of Bredasdorp.

They trace back to the theorized Proto-Indo-European word “h₂eḱ.” According to local legend, when sailing to the cape, sailors saw the compass needle point North, directly to the modern day location of L’Agulhas.

Designed by Colonel Charles Cornwell Michell in homage to the Pharos of Alexandria, the lighthouse was lit on March 1, 1849.

Some 150 ships lay scattered along the South African coast, many due to the treacherous Agulhas Reef.

[2]Another source gives different data, showing that it has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb), with most precipitation falling in June.