In 1859, the
missionary and
explorerDavid Livingstone uncovered the Cape, and named it "Cape Maclear" after his friend, the
astronomerThomas Maclear, who was Her Majesty's Astronomer at the
Cape of Good Hope.[4][5] In October 1875, a new mission, "Livingstonia", was set up by a group of members of the
Free Church of Scotland.[6][7] Before the missionaries arrived, the area was controlled by the
MuslimYao people.[8] The graves of some of the missionaries are in Cape Maclear, overlooking the bay.[9] Although Cape Maclear had a good harbour, the poor soil in the area, and the prevalence of the
tsetse fly, meant a more suitable base had to be found;[10] the mission moved to
Bandawe, near
Chintheche, in 1882.[11]
Wildlife
Cape Maclear and its islands, forests and bay were declared a national park in 1980, creating the
Lake Malawi National Park, the first
freshwater national park in the world.[12] In 1984, the area became a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.[13] There are several species of bird at Cape Maclear, including
kingfishers, Dickinson's kestrels, and freckled nightjars.[14] There is a museum about the formation of Lake Malawi and its wildlife at Cape Maclear.[3] UNESCO has recommended wildlife preservation at Cape Maclear.[15]
Tourism
Cape Maclear is "a leading tourist destination",[15] and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi.[2] The area is popular with
backpackers.[16] There are bars, restaurants, lodges and guesthouses in the town.[17] Activities available in Cape Maclear include
snorkelling, hiking, boat cruises,
kayaking, and diving. In October 2001, the Malawian government invited investors to fund a $6,000,000 construction of a new 150-room, four-star hotel at Cape Maclear.[18] In June 2003, plans were announced to build an ecolodge on Maleri Island, near Cape Maclear.[19] In February 2005, the Malawian government announced plans to increase
ecotourism at Cape Maclear with new accommodation and facilities.[20] These plans proved too ambitious for the fragile Malawian economy and tourist industry.
Transport
In February 2006, the Malawian government announced plans to build a new road from Cape Maclear to
Monkey Bay.[21] The current road is a bumpy dirt track,[22] and there is no regular public transport at Cape Maclear.[23] Regular bus service extends only from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay where private minibuses can be hired for the trip to Cape Maclear.
Healthcare
There is a medical clinic in Cape Maclear; the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic was established in 2004, and treats diseases such as
dysentery,
bilharzia and
malaria. There are no diagnostic services or surgery carried out at the clinic. Mags Riordan, who founded the clinic, is the mother of a man who drowned in Lake Malawi, near Cape Maclear in 1999. The clinic is supported by the Billy Malawi Project.[1][24]
Bilharzia is common at Cape Maclear; the incidence of the disease at Cape Maclear is three times higher than the rest of Lake Malawi.[25]
Sport
Every summer, a multi-day yacht race is held on Lake Malawi. The race starts at Cape Maclear, heads north, and ends at
Nkhata Bay.[26]