Signal+Hill

Signal Hill in Cape Town is a large flat-topped hill located next to Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. Signal Hill stands between Green Point and the City Bowl and is occasionally referred to the Lion’s Flank because of its shape. The name Signal Hill dates back to when it was used for communication with distant ships at sea. The 360-degree panorama view of Cape Town and Table Bay provides an ideal vantage point for such communication.

As visitors travel up the roadway approaching the summit of Signal Hill they are treated with a breathtaking view of the city of Cape Town and the Atlantic Seaboard. Tourists are known to enjoy picnics along the way and take advantage of spectacular sunsets and light shows of the city of Cape Town as night falls. Signal Hill however, receives most of its visitors during the early afternoon when the Noon Gun is fired. Every day just before 12:00 noon, an officer makes his way to the Lion’s Battery where the Noon Gun is located. The officer inserts a bag of gunpowder into the Noon Gun and exactly at 12:00 noon an electronic signal is sent from the Cape Town Observatory that ignites one shot from the Noon Gun.

Signal Hill is also home to several tombs for Muslim missionaries and religious leaders. One building in particular stands out because of its white squared shape and green dome. It was built for the sheikh Mohamed Hassen Ghaibie, a follower of Sheikh Yusuf. Many of these tombs are still visited by some local Muslim people.

One of the only places in the world that vegetation called Peninsula Shale Renosterveld can be found is located on Signal Hill. The Renosterveld is a dull colored shrub similar to the color of a rhino’s hide. Urban expansion has now covered most of the ecosystem, which was once covered with the vegetation. It is truly an incredible view.