A few stock-farmers established themselves here as early as 1710, as did shipwreck survivors of various nationalities. The imposing old lighthouse, built in 1848 in the style of the Pharos Lighthouse in Egypt and restored in 1988, is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. The lighthouse also has an interesting museum.

The area around the southernmost tip of Africa , often referred to as the Agulhas Plain, has rich natural and cultural features, which make it worthy of national park status.

The Fynbos in the area is part of the Cape Floristic Kingdom and boasts over 8500 species of flowering plants in the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms. There are a wide variety of wetlands in the area which attract over 21000 migrant and resident wetland birds annually.

There are two tidal and two rock pools for swimming and several interesting hiking trails for the tourist. A coastal hike of several kilometers along the rugged coastline brings one to the area where the ancient Khoi-khoi people trapped fish using ingeniously constructed tidal traps. The remains of these traps are still clearly visible. There are several guest houses, restaurants and a small caravan park with bungalows.