Cape St Blaize Cave lies immediately below the lighthouse, an overhang in the rock that you reach by a short path from the car park at the Point. By general account George Leith dug here in 1888, one of the earliest excavations in South Africa, and found traces of hunter gatherers who used the cave as shelter over thousands of years, most recently Khoisan groups. The lighthouse above it is new by comparison.
- George Leith’s excavation, by general account
- 1888
- no entry fee, no gate
- Free
- of the St Blaize Trail
- Start
- for the cave alone
- 20 minutes
Access is free and there are no hours. From the mouth of the cave you look straight at the surf on the rocks, and in a southwester at the spray flying over the shelves. This is also where the St Blaize Trail begins: the coastal path to Dana Bay starts at the cave and runs west along the cliffs from there. If you only want the cave, you are back at the car park in twenty minutes.
- Time needed
- twenty minutes
- Cost
- free
- When
- all year, best at low tide
- From the Dias Museum
- 1.3 km
Our tipGo down at low tide, when the rock shelves below the cave are exposed and you can get closer to the water. At high tide in a southwester, stay up top.
St Blaize Cave: frequently asked questions
What is St Blaize Cave in Mossel Bay?
A rock overhang directly under Cape St Blaize lighthouse, open to the sea. By general account George Leith dug here in 1888, one of the earliest excavations in South Africa; the cave served hunter gatherers as shelter over thousands of years.
Does St Blaize Cave cost anything?
No. The cave under the lighthouse in Mossel Bay is freely accessible, with no gate and no hours. A short path leads down from the car park at the Point, and cave plus walk back takes about twenty minutes.
Does the St Blaize Trail start at the cave?
Yes. The coastal path from Mossel Bay to Dana Bay starts at St Blaize Cave under the lighthouse and runs west along the cliffs from there. You can turn back whenever you like, it is not a circular route.