{"id":7908,"date":"2013-10-09T10:10:54","date_gmt":"2013-10-09T10:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/travel\/?p=7908"},"modified":"2022-09-19T11:06:44","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T11:06:44","slug":"table-mountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/travel\/destinations\/south-africa\/table-mountain\/","title":{"rendered":"Table Mountain, South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\"Table
Table Mountain South Africa<\/div><\/a>\"Cablecar
Cablecar to Table Mountain<\/div><\/a>\"Table
Table Mountain <\/div><\/a><\/div>\n

Teeming with wildlife and botanical treasures, Table Mountain dominates the skyline of the ‘Mother City’. Endlessly pouring tablecloth of clouds amply justifies its riveting presence between the Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head sentinels. With its gloomy ravines, rugged cliffs, and indigenous jungles, the mountain creates a magical aura that interweaves with the urban sprawl. As the summit itself offers a visual delight of blue hazed mountains of the hinterland and panoramic views of Robben Island, it is hard not to be enamored of Table Mountain.<\/p>\n

History<\/span><\/h2>\n

Approximately eight hundred million years ago, the mountain was at the sea level. The mountain rose due to the pressure building up in the earth’s crust during the Ice Age. About 2000 years ago, it was inhabited by the Khoikhoi people, who were a major tribe when Europeans first arrived in the 16th century. The Khoi and San people named the mountain ‘Hoerikwaggo’ meaning ‘mountain in the sea.’ Later, Ant\u00f3nio de Saldanha, who climbed the mountain in 1503, named it ‘Taboa do Cabo’ meaning \u201cTable of the Cape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Table Mountain Activities<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ride Table Mountain Cableway \u2013<\/strong> The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway was opened in October 4, 1929. It’s a much safer, faster, and convenient 1200-meter ride that carries visitors from the Lower Cable Station on Kloofnek Road to the top of Table Mountain. Experience the sunny days and balmy evenings atop the mountain by taking a cable car to the summit, and be amazed by the jaw-dropping views of Cape Town, Robben Island, and the Cape Peninsula. Visitors can book tickets for the cableway in advance to avoid any disappointment.<\/p>\n

Visit Table Mountain National Park \u2013<\/strong> The mountain received a national park status in 1998. It stretches from the mountainous spine of the Cape Peninsula to the tip of the Cape Point. It falls under the Cape Floristic Region that is renowned for diverse and indigenous flora and fauna. On Table Mountain alone, there are nearly 1,470 species of plants. Take a stroll through the colony of African penguins at the Boulders Beach or check out the landmarks like the Cape of Good Hope.<\/p>\n

Go Hiking \u2013<\/strong> Lace up your boots and walk off your kilojoules on one of the many ( up to 350) hiking trails up the mountain. The first section of the hike is a steep ascent that provides a great warm-up for hikers. You may be tempted to take the Platteklip Gorge route, which is the most direct one, but it’s also the most challenging one and not recommended for beginners. While the Skeleton Gorge via Maclear’s Beacon route affords matchless panoramic views over False Bay, the Circular walk to Maclear’s Beacon passes by the quieter parts of the mountain without much effort. There are some other trails that can be accessed from the Constantia Nek, Cecilia Park, Newlands Forest, and Rhodes Memorial.<\/p>\n

Try Adventure Activities \u2013<\/strong> Thrill-seekers would love to climb through some routes of varying degrees of difficulty to the summit. There are various routes with certain difficulty levels. If you fancy abseiling, then step off the cliffs and plunge into pure vertical space. Wynberg Caves, Bat\u2019s Cave, and Smuggler\u2019s Cave are the famous caves that allow caving and cave scrambling. Visitors who have a penchant for mountain biking can use the famous biking route to the Block House. Other popular pastimes on the mountain are paragliding, Downhill Scooter tours, and wildlife watching.<\/p>\n

On a completely different note, make your wedding more memorable by taking vows on the six different venues atop the mountain. The month of love \u2013 February \u2013 is the most popular time here for weddings.<\/p>\n

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden \u2013<\/strong> Located at the eastern foot of Table Mountain, this garden was founded in 1913. It is known for its impressive biodiversity of exhibiting plants from different biomes including savanna, fynbos, karoo, and more.<\/p>\n

Nearby Attractions<\/span><\/h2>\n

Signal Hill, Devil’s Peak, Robben Island<\/a>, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape of Good Hope, and Two Oceans Aquarium.<\/p>\n

Table Mountain Location<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Table Mountain overlooks the city of Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean in South Africa.<\/p>\n