Take your time and be sure to include a Table Mountain Tour in your holiday.

Table Mountain

To early mariners the sight of Table Mountain was not only a symbol of hope, but meant safe anchorage and fresh food and water after months at sea. On a clear day, Table Mountain is visible from as far as 200 km out at sea. The summit of this world famous landmark and National Monument (1957) can be reached via a network of paths (more than 500 charted) – some involving expert climbing –or, weather permitting, by cableway. The first recorded ascent was made by the Portuguese navigator Antonio de Saldanha in 1503, who aptly named the mountain “Taboa do Cabo” – Table of the Cape. The cableway was renovated during the late 1990’s and was reopened during October 1997. The two new cable cars (running simultaneously) have the capacity to carry 65 passengers each, compared to the 25 of the previous one, and 890 people can be transported up and down the mountain per hour a significant improvement over the previous 230. the floor of these Swiss-designed cars does a 360°c revolution during the ascent (which only takes five minutes), offering breathtaking vistas of the area. Atop the mountain are various paths and no less than nine official viewpoints. Restaurants facilities and a curio shop are available at the summit. Although surrounded by the bustling city of Cape Town and it’s suburbs, Table Mountain is still virtually a wilderness area. The mountain itself, rising 1086 metres above the bay, with it’s flat summit nearly 3 km long, is home to some 1500 plant species, 50 of which are found nowhere else on earth. Table Mountain is incorporated into the Cape Peninsula National Park.

TABLE VIEW

As the name suggests, this fast developing township on the northern shores of Table Bay is known for it’s magnificent view of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head.