Signal Hill in Cape Town – Sunset, Picnic and Noon Gun

The silhouette of Cape Town – characterized by 3 mountains

The most prominent one is world famous: Table Mountain. To the East of the city centre, you can find Devil’s Peak (1003 m), which is a paradise for hikes. To the West of the city bowl is Signal Hill. On the southern tip of Signal Hill, there is a 600m high mountain called Lion’s Head (also very popular with hikers).

View of Lion’s Head and the Table Bay

Signal Hill expands over approximately 5 kilometres. At the top, there are several viewpoints. Take in the beautiful view of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the Cape Town city centre or Robben Island from above. Signal Hill is an almost woodless area. The predominant vegetation is fynbos. Only a small line of trees withstands the wildfires that occur every few years in this area.

In the past, this hill was used as an observing point. In memory of the old days, a canon is fired daily at lunch time, exactly at 12 o’clock (“Noon Gun”).

Enjoy the sunset from Signal Hill

For most Capetonians, Signal Hill is the true local mountain – and not Table Mountain. They have picnics on the top and enjoy beautiful sunset views. Many people make their way to Signal Hill before sunset. Hundreds of people gather on the huge lawn, sip on a glass of wine and just savour this spectacle that nature has to offer.

Signal Hill is also the starting point for paragliders. They jump off a ramp and enjoy their descent towards the ocean.

Hiking up Lion’s Head

A hike up Lion’s Head will take approximately 1 hour. A certain level of fitness is required for this hike as you also have to climb over rocks near the summit. From the plateau, you can enjoy awesome panoramic views.