Cape Town's myths, legends and ghost stories!

Cape Town isn’t just about the best beaches, vineyards and mountain hikes - as South Africa's oldest city, it is filled with strange legends, eerie encounters and centuries-old ghost stories that refuse to die.  

Let's dive into the myths that have shaped local folklore and given the Mother City a bit of a supernatural edge.

1. Van Hunks vs The Devil (Devil’s Peak)

If you’ve ever wondered how Devil’s Peak got its name, it all started with a man and his pipe.

Urban folklore has it that Jan van Hunks, a Dutchman who loved his tobacco, met a stranger on the slopes of the mountain and challenged him to a smoking contest.  

As they puffed away, clouds of smoke rolled over Table Mountain - until lightning struck and revealed that Van Hunks’ rival was none other than the Devil himself - side by side.

To this day, when the famous Tablecloth of cloud drapes the mountain, locals say the two are still locked in their eternal contest.

2. The Ghosts of the Castle of Good Hope

Cape Town’s oldest surviving building, the Castle of Good Hope, is a fortress with centuries of history and hauntings to match. Soldiers have reported phantom footsteps and blood-curdling screams.

A lady in Grey who sometimes makes an appearance during auspicious events. Believed to be the ghost of Lady Anne Barnard, the first lady of the colony, she lived at the Castle in the late 18th century and was known to be a grand entertainer of her time. 

Even more chilling is the story of Governor Pieter van Noodt. He was apparently cursed by a soldier whom he condemned to death. Hours later, the Governor was found dead at his desk and his ghost is said to still stalk the Castle's corridors.

3. Cape Point’s Phantom Ship, The Flying Dutchman 

For centuries, sailors have sworn they’ve seen a ghostly ship, sails torn, crew lost to time, appearing out of nowhere off the Cape of Good Hope.

The Flying Dutchman was captained by Hendrik van der Decken, who defied a storm by swearing he’d round the so-called Cape of Storms “even if it took until Doomsday”. The sea took him at his word. 

On misty nights, lighthouse keepers and sailors still claim to see the phantom vessel, glowing red in the distance.

4. Groote Schuur Hospital’s Ghost Nurse

Built beneath Devil’s Peak, Groote Schuur Hospital has seen countless lives begin and end. Among its long corridors, hospital staff whisper of a ghostly nurse who appears during night shifts, helping patients before vanishing through walls.

In the old isolation wards, footsteps echo when no one is there, and lifts reportedly move between floors on their own.

5. Rust en Vreugd: The House That Doesn’t Rest

Behind its graceful Georgian façade on Buitenkant Street, Rust en Vreugd hides a restless past of Cape Town's city centre.

This historic house and garden dates back to the 18th century and is home to the William Fehr Collection of pictorial Africana, forming part of the Iziko Museums.  

Visitors have reported hearing footsteps and even a woman in white floating silently between rooms.

It’s one of the city's most quietly haunted heritage homes - and perhaps a beautiful reminder that history often lingers long after the living have moved on. 

6. The One-Legged Keeper of Green Point Lighthouse 

The Green Point Lighthouse has stood the test of time, dating back to 1824, with its red-and-white stripes guarding ships from the Atlantic’s rough waters.

But not all who kept watch have left.  

Locals whisper of a one-legged lighthouse keeper, whose voice still echoes through the tower’s spiral stairwell late at night.

Runners and cyclists along the Sea Point Promenade swear that when the wind howls just right, you can still hear him calling out - no doubt making them run a little faster!

7. The Galloping Ghost of Tokai Manor House on New Year’s Eve

Tokai Manor House, on the slopes of Constantiaberg, is a grand 18th-century Cape Dutch homestead and the stomping ground of one of Cape Town’s most famous haunted sites.

According to legend, during a New Year’s Eve celebration in the early 1800s, Frederick Eksteen, son of the estate’s owner, accepted a drunken dare to ride his horse up the manor’s front steps and into the house. He succeeded, but shortly after both horse and rider fell fatally on the descent.

Ever since, locals claim that each New Year’s Eve, the sound of hooves clattering up the stairs can be heard echoing through the old house. Some even swear they’ve seen a spectral rider galloping through Tokai Forest under the moonlight.

8. Simon’s Town’s Just Nuisance & The Naval Ghosts

The quaint harbour of Simon’s Town may be postcard-pretty by day, but when night falls, the spirits of its seafaring past are said to come out and play.

Among the most famous of its urban legends is that of Able Seaman Just Nuisance, the Great Dane who became a Royal Navy legend and served at HMS Afrikander in the 1940s. 

He was given full naval honours when he died and a statue to commemorate him. Locals also whisper of phantom sailors marching through the cobbled streets near the statue in Jubilee Square and ghostly footsteps echoing in the old naval barracks. 

9. The Giants and Dragons of Table Mountain 

Before settlers and sailors told their tales, the mountain already had legends of its own.

In Khoisan mythology, the Sun God Tixo and Earth Goddess Djobela created a son, Qamata, who was attacked by a jealous sea-dragon. To protect him, Djobela shaped giants from the earth to guard the land, one of whom is said to be sleeping beneath Table Mountain. 

Why Cape Town’s Myths Endure

These legends blend truth, folklore and fear in a way only Cape Town can.

They speak to its layers - indigenous mythology, colonial hauntings, maritime tragedies and modern-day mysteries.

So next time the Tablecloth rolls in or you hear a strange knock on an old oak door, remember: in the Mother City, some stories never die.

Planning your own haunted adventure for Halloween? Explore with a Haunted Castle of Good HopeTour. 

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