Cape Town:a picturesque South African coastal city with a lot of charm and character. Table Mountain, 2010 FIFA World Cup, southernmost Cape of Good Hope, African Indigenous culture, and jackass penguin are the keywords that pop up in my mind when I was planning my visit. Of course, Table Mountain is the first on my list and I am sure everyone would tell you it’s a place not to be missed.
Cape Town: Best Things to See, Do and Eat in the City
The city’s urban area is embraced by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean – Exploring the history, vibrant street arts, great markets, authentic dining experience, and an exciting coffee scene.
Why Table Mountain?
The mountain is simply unique.Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain and a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town. Nelson Mandela once declared Table Mountain ‘a Gift to the Earth’, on World Environment Day, in 1998. Table Mountain (among others like Ha Long Bay, Komodo, and Iguazu Falls…) is declared one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. True, Its unique shape and flat surface form a perfect backdrop to the city’s skyline. It could be seen basically anywhere in the city, even from the plane… given that the mountain is not covered by clouds.
The mountain offers a panoramic view of Cape Town. The range of mountains is located in the center of the city. The city center of Cape Town is nestled in the North, facing the ocean. The south side is the suburbs with houses sprawling at the feet of the mountain. At the top of Table Mountain, the highest point of Cape Town, you will be able to see the cityscape with no obstruction.
The natural environment is enchanting. The mountain is home to a lot of wild animals, including the adorable dassies. It is rich in floral biodiversity and is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage Site. Over 8,200 plant species can be found in TMNP. fine bush is one of the most commonly found plants in the area, plus many are actually endemic.
Seven Natural Wonders of the World
I had a great time on a junk boat trip in Ha Long Bay.
Same as the Seven Wonders of the World, the list was run by a New 7 Wonders campaign and the voting took place in 2007. More than 100 million votes were cast, and the results are:
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Philippines
Komodo Island, Indonesia
Table Mountain, South Africa
Table Mountain, the introduction
Table Mountain got its name because of its flat top. The mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), and the park was established in 1998. It was known as the Cape Peninsula National Park before that. The national is about 25,000 in size, and it could be seen as your flight landing at the Cape Town International Airport.
While there are 21 national parks in South Africa, TMNP is one of the most well-known, and most visited in the country. One unique feature of the park is that it is surrounded completely by the city of Cape Town. The mountain receives over 4.2 million visitors annually, and many of them come here to enjoy the view, but also to go hiking, trail running, horse riding, and mountain biking.
For active travelers, Table Mountain has a number of hiking trails at different levels; while you want to take a leisurely hike, or take a challenging route, the national park has the options for you. Moreover, the scenery of Table Mountain has an exciting diversity: it has a lush and green lower part and it gets rocky moving to the top. Apart from Table Mountain, the nearby Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill are also in interesting shapes that are worth exploring.
Table Mountain, do you know?
More, let’s explore some fun facts about the mountain that you probably don’t know:
The type of plants in the mountains is incredible. while over 1,400 plant species are endangered, and 29 species have already become extinct.
Table Mountain is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world; the mountain is 240 million years old, while the rocks of the mountain are over 600 million years old (To give you a perspective, the Alps is just about 40 million years old.)
Table Mountain was once three times higher in height than it is today, which was eroded.
Originally, the mountain was named by the indigenous Khoisan people of the Cape as “Hoerikwaggo”, meaning “Mountain in the Sea”.
Table Mountain is featured on Cape Town’s city flag and logo.
This tourist attraction is the main draw to travelers around the world and also plays a major role in boosting the city’s tourism. The mountain alone contributed to the US 25 million in tourist income from 1998-2003.
The Table Cloth Effect
Once we landed at Cape Town International Airport, we took our rental car and in merely 20 minutes we were in the city center, checking in to the Airbnb apartment we booked.
The apartment is a charming building on Strand Street surrounded by cafés (I will talk about that later) and local shops, and the highlight was a balcony with two chairs facing the Table Mountain!
It was May and Cape Town was a bit chilly when the sun was not coming out. When I was on the balcony I was thinking: “Oh, shoot!” Table Mountain was covered with thick clouds since we arrived and I had pre-purchased the Aerial cableway tickets in the afternoon online.
When the clouds are gathered on the top of Table Mountain, it’s called the “table cloth”. It is caused by the South-eastern wind that are moists, and thus form a layer of cloud when the water droplets met a colder layers of air at the top of the mountain. The cloud would eventually roll over hte mountain and move down towards the City Bowl, and gradually dissolves when they reach the warmer air in the lower air. It’s an interesting sight, yet it would not be a good time to reach to the top of the mountain when the clouds are gathered, and the clouds may form at different time of the day, usually during summer.
What is the best time to visit Table Mountain?
If a question was asked. It was my strategy: pre-purchase the ticket and go to Table Mountain the first day I arrived. Not only because Table Mountain is the number one attraction in town, but also in case of any unexpected situation (like weather), we would still have time for plan B. There are lots of discussions in travel forums regarding the best time to go up the mountain… and honestly, my day could not turn out any more perfectly. So, I have a few tips about visiting Table Mountain:
Best time of the year
Well, it’s difficult to predict the weather and I am sure there’s always a chance of a gorgeous day any time of the year. I visited in May and it was a bit chilly up there, but it wouldn’t be a problem if you were dressed warmly. I was told that December is the busiest month of the year. In general, the best time of the year would be from March to May, and from September to November (a.k.a. Autumn and Spring). These shoulder seasons boast enviable weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices.
Best time of the day
The “Table Cloth Effect” is caused by the winds from the Southeast in summer. The moisture condenses on a cold layer at the height of 1000m, forming thick clouds that cover the peak of the mountain. Actually, the Table Cloth Effect could happen at any time of the day, usually in summer, depending on windiness.
The mountain’s steep and thick sandstone layer is north-facing, and the “City Bowl” is located on the north side of the mountain, thus visitors would always enjoy the city view with great lighting, no matter in the early morning or late afternoon. To beat the crowds, I recommend getting there in the early morning (there are tours valid as early as 7:30 a.m.) or late afternoon – particularly late afternoon, because the sunset was absolutely magnificent.
Avoid Fridays
The Table Mountain Cableway offers South African pensioners and students a concession every Friday – therefore it’s not the best time for tourists as the station could be quite crowded.
Going to Table Mountain
Pre-purchase online
Unless you are planning to go up the mountain on foot, pre-purchase the tickets online and it would save precious time standing in line for tickets at the ticket office. If you are lucky, you might find special offers or discounted deals on the site from time to time.
Use the free shuttle service, if parking is a bitxh
Finding a parking spot near the station during busy hours could be a nightmare. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot as soon as we arrived at the station. But in case you have no luck, instead of driving up and down waiting for a spot, consider parking at the Lower Tafelberg Road parking and then take a free MyCiti shuttle to the station.
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is an easy way to go up the mountain. The cableway officially opened to the public in 1929, and it had a major upgrade and redesign in 1997, in which new revolving cars were installed and each cabin could hold up to 65 passengers. Starting from the Lower Cable Station (363m), it slowly ascends to the Upper Cable Station (1067m). Don’t worry, the cabin will rotate as it goes up so all passengers can enjoy a panoramic view from the ride.
Table Mountain, what NOT to miss
The top of the Mountain is well-paved with walkways that cover different sides of the mountain. The Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, Robben Island, City Bowl, Table Bay, and Devil’s Peak could be viewed on the north side; and the “Back Table” (a rugged plateau that is an extension on the south side of the Table Mountain), and the Twelve Apostles, could be viewed on the south side. In between, is home to a large array of fauna and flora.
Rock Dassie
The Table Mountain is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom and home to an astonishing 1,470 plant species in an area of 57 square kilometers: Blue Disa, Cluster Disa, Erica, Watsonia, Yellow Margaret, Cape Reeds and more. More, it is also home to a variety of fascinating animals which depends on each other: like southern rock agama, black girdled lizard, klipspringer, Verreaux’s eagle, rock kestrel, and of course, the rock dassie – and absolutely adorable creature freely roaming in the Table Mountain walking trails.
Cape Town, AMAZING TABLE MOUNTAIN. I mean, really. No joke. I mean I did meet dassies, witness the sunset, have a great city panorama, and have fun in the cable car… It was a humbling experience #take-my-breath-away
Table Mountain is a big area with a big view that you should take tons of photos of. On a clear day, you can basically see the entire city on both sides of the cliffs. Apart from the cityscape, spot the birds in the tree, or look for dassies (which are not that difficult to find). There are a number of viewing decks and viewpoints on the mountains, but some of the rocks are open allowing you to take everything in without a fence. Watch your steps and stay within the guided area, they are generally safe to explore.
Walks and Hikes
I took “the easy way” to get to the top of the mountain, but as I mentioned, it is possible to take a hike to the mountain top if you are physically fit and want a challenge. The fastest trail takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your speed. However, this is the least scenic trail among all the possible routes, if you want the have an immersive experience, pick Kasteelspoort or Skeleton Gorge route which needs about 4.5 and 5 hours respectively. You will get to see the rocks and dramatic cliffs at the back of Table Mountain.
There are a few shops at the top of Table Mountain, and the shops feature some local specials, including the King Protea. The restaurants there are exciting too. The buffet is located at the Upper Aerial Cableway cafe and serves delicacies like biltong (a South African version of beef jerky).
Lion’s Head and Signal Hill
Coming back down from Table Mountain, we also visited Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, right on the west side of Table Mountain. These mountains are very close to the city center and they are part of the city’s dramatic backdrop. There, we enjoyed an intimate sunset at the Atlantic Ocean, while watching the adventurous ones go for tandem paragliding.
Giant Yellow Frames
To honor this New 7 Wonder of Nature, the city of Cape Town placed giant yellow frames at 7 different locations in the city to “capture” the beauty of the mountain from different angles – it is part of Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 project and it hopes to help visitors capturing this enormous monument from different part of the city. These yellow frames could be found in V&A Waterfront, Signal Hill, Cape Town Station, District Six, Silo District, Blouberg (Eden of the Bay), and Khayelitsha Lookout Hill. Try to look for these frames as you are exploring different parts of the city!
The first day in Cape Town was fulfilling and filled with wonders. Up next, we explored a lot more in the city of Cape Town, and experienced the untamed beauty of the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders, Silvermine, and more! Stay-tuned ~
Cape Town: Best Things to See, Do and Eat in the City
Once we landed at Cape Town International Airport, we took our rental car and in merely 20 minutes we were in the city center, checking in to the Airbnb apartment we booked.
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is an easy way to go up the mountain. The cableway officially opened to the public in 1929, and it had a major upgrade and redesign in 1997, in which new revolving cars were installed and each cabin could hold up to 65 passengers. Starting from the Lower Cable Station (363m), it slowly ascends to the Upper Cable Station (1067m). Don’t worry, the cabin will rotate as it goes up so all passengers can enjoy a panoramic view from the ride.
Coming back down from Table Mountain, we also visited Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, right on the west side of Table Mountain. These mountains are very close to the city center and they are part of the city’s dramatic backdrop. There, we enjoyed an intimate sunset at the Atlantic Ocean, while watching the adventurous ones go for tandem paragliding.
Table Mountain looks incredible, my husband loves to hike mountains. Looks like a great time you had.
Good to know, please share with us your experience when you go there!