L'Agulhas (or
Agulhas) is a coastal village and holiday resort in the
Western Cape province of
South Africa. Located just north of
Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the African mainland, it is the southernmost settlement in Africa. It is situated next to the town of
Struisbaai and about south of the regional centre of
Bredasdorp. The name "Agulhas",
Portuguese for "needles", is said to have been given to the cape because the compass-needle was seen to point due north, that is, with no magnetic deviation. The
Agulhas Bank is reputed to be the richest fishing area in the
Southern Hemisphere.
