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Cape Town · Mysteries & legends

Curses, Ghosts and Ships That Never Make Port

Cape Town began as a sailors' stopover, and sailors bring stories. This route, designed for the last light of the afternoon, links legends that are still told with the facts behind them: death records, sermons, permits for worship and gravestones. We always keep what is documented apart from what belongs to tradition. It ends in the upper Bo-Kaap, close to its restaurants; if darkness falls, head down along busy streets or call a cab.

  • 5 stops
  • 2.7 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Painting of the Flying Dutchman: a sailing ship in a storm and a phantom vessel

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Castle of Good Hope: Ghosts of the FortressA curse hurled from the gallows, a dungeon called ‘the Dark Hole’ and a bell that, so the story goes, rang by itself.
  2. 2 Church Square and the Slave TreeThe cursed governor's grave, a plaque worn almost smooth in the paving and eleven granite blocks bearing the names of those who were enslaved.
  3. 3 Heerengracht and the Flying DutchmanWaves broke here when Van Riebeeck landed, and from these waters came the legend of the captain who swore to round the Cape even if it took him all eternity.
  4. 4 The Lutheran Church on Strand StreetFor years the Cape's Lutherans worshipped in a building that was officially a warehouse. Today it is one of the oldest churches in the country.
  5. 5 Tana Baru and the Circle of KramatsThe Muslim cemetery where Tuan Guru lies, defended by thousands of people in 1886 and, tradition says, part of a sacred circle that protects the city.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Curses, Ghosts and Ships That Never Make Port

A cursed governor

The sudden death of Pieter Gysbert Noodt in 1729 and his grave in the Groote Kerk.

The Flying Dutchman

Where and when the legend of the world's most famous ghost ship was born.

Faith in hiding

A Lutheran church that passed itself off as a warehouse, and a cemetery defended by thousands of people in 1886.

Keep exploring

More routes in Cape Town

Back to Cape Town
HistoryFrom the Castle to Mandela's Balcony MixedFrom the Company's Vegetable Patch to the Painted Houses

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Cape Town?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Cape Town in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Cape Town in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Cape Town in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary