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Cape Horn, Chile -

Cape Horn, the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, is actually located on Hornos Island. The cape marks where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet. As such, the waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds and currents, large waves, and icebergs.

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Cape Leeuwin, Australia -

Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia marks the most southwesterly mainland point of the continent. Landmarking the location is Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, at 39 m (128 ft) the tallest lighthouse in the country.

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Cape of Good Hope, South Africa -

One of the great capes of the South Atlantic Ocean, the Cape of Good Hope is set at the southern tip of Cape Peninsula in South Africa's Western Cape province. The first European to sight the cape was Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, who called it Cabo das Tormentas ("Cape of Storms"), which was the promontory's original name.

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Cape Cod, USA -

Glacial in origin, the hooked sandy peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts is known as Cape Cod. Its scenic splendor has made the cape one of the country's premier vacation destinations.

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Cap Gris-Nez, France -

Cap Gris-Nez, which literally means "cape grey nose," is located in the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France. The cliffs mark the closest point of the country to England—34 km (21 mi) across the Channel from those at Dover.

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Cape Matapan, Greece -

Remote Cape Matapan, perched at the end of the Mani Peninsula, marks the southernmost point of mainland Greece.

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Cabo San Lucas, Mexico -

Cabo San Lucas, a hugely popular resort city ensconced at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, is named for its famous cape embellished with a picturesque natural arch.

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Cape Trafalgar, Spain -

Cape Trafalgar in the province of Cádiz is synonymous with the 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar. The Royal Navy won a decisive victory over Napoleon's combined Spanish and French fleet, but at the cost of Admiral Horatio Nelson's life.

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Cape Fear, USA -

Scenic Cape Fear, a prominent headland protruding into the Atlantic Ocean from Bald Head Island on the coast of North Carolina, has an identity crisis thanks to the 1962 noir psychological thriller 'Cape Fear' and the 1991 remake. The kicker is that neither movie was actually filmed on the cape!

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Cabo da Roca, Portugal -

The western tip of mainland Europe is found at Cabo da Roca, or Cape Roca, a lighthouse-topped headland set on the edge of Portugal's Sintra mountain range. 

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Cabo de São Vicente, Portugal -

Further south in Portugal's Algarve is Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent), the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe.

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North Cape, Norway -

North Cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway may well be the tourists' favorite, but it's Kinnarodden (Cape Nordkinn) that is actually the northernmost point of mainland Norway, and by extension the northernmost point of mainland Europe.

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Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand -

The wonderfully named Cape Kidnappers set over Hawke's Bay on North Island has two claims to fame; as a breeding site for over 3,000 pairs of Australasian gannets, and for a spectacular clifftop golf course seemingly chiseled out of solid rock.

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Cape Breton, Canada -

Set at the eastern end of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island takes its name from its easternmost point, Cape Breton. The island is known for the Cabot Trail, one of the most scenic drives in North America.

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Ponta do Seixas, Brazil -

Ponta do Seixas, also known as Cape Branco, marks the easternmost point of the American continents. Located on the Atlantic coast of Paraíba state, the cape is distinguished by its lighthouse, a concrete triangular tower painted in black and white with three projections pointed in a wing shape.

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Cape Greco, Cyprus -

Cape Greco forms part of the Cape Greco National Park. The headland in the southeastern corner of Cyprus is near Famagusta Bay, a region noted for its sea caves and grottoes.

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Ras Doumeira, Djibouti-Eritrea -

The cape known as Ras Doumeira, which extends into the Red Sea, effectively denotes the northernmost point in Djibouti and southernmost point in Eritrea. Border disputes between the two countries around this region are commonplace.

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Cape Arkona, Germany -

Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen forms the tip of the Wittow peninsula. Surmounting the cliffs are two lighthouses and a marine navigation tower.

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Cape Cornwall, England -

Cape Cornwall first appeared on a maritime chart in the early 1600s, and was once thought to be the most westerly point on mainland England (that honor actually belongs to nearby Land's End). Cape Cornwall is one of only two capes in the British Isles, the other being in Scotland.

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Cape Wrath, Scotland -

Cape Wrath, sometimes called Cape Durness, can be found brooding on the Sutherland coast in the Highlands of Scotland. It's the only other cape in the United Kingdom besides Cape Cornwall, and marks the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain.

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Kanyakumari, India -

Set at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent is Kanyakumari, or Cape Comorin, famous for its unique sunrise and sunset point: Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda Rock Memorial.

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Cape Henlopen, USA -

Historic Cape Henlopen in Delaware is enclosed by the Cape Henlopen State Park. In 1682, English Quaker William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what would become the United States.

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Cape Kolka, Latvia -

Latvia's Cape Kolka on the Baltic Sea serves as a landmark near the entry to the Gulf of Riga.

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Cape Flattery, USA -

Wild and rugged Cape Flattery in Washington state marks the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. The cape is the northern boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

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Cape Agulhas, South Africa -

Cape Agulhas is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the official dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A marker indicates the fact.

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Cape Finisterre, Spain -

Finisterra derives from the Latin finis terrae, meaning "end of the Earth". The Romans believed Cape Finisterre in Galicia to be just that.

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Cape Egmont, New Zealand -

Mount Taranaki provides a dramatic backdrop for the Cape Egmont Lighthouse on New Zealand's North Island. The cape divides the Northern and Southern Taranaki Bights.

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Cape Canaveral, USA -

Cape Canaveral in Florida was once known as Cape Kennedy, named in tribute to the US president who famously declared: "We choose to go the Moon." The cape is part of a region known as the Space Coast, and is the site of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

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Cape Foulwind, New Zealand -

Foul weather often blights this aptly named cape, a prominent headland on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. The region is a wildlife hotspot, with fur seals and the endemic Hector's dolphin numbering among the residents.

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Cape Hatteras, USA -

Cape Hatteras is found on Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. It's home to one of the most recognized lighthouses in the United States, the 19th-century candy-striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Sources: (Royal Museums Greenwich) (Biography)

See also: The most beautiful and iconic lighthouse in America

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