It is much more than a scenic photograph background or a place from where you can take a breathtaking photo of Cape Town. There are about 2, species of plants found on Table Mountain and floral species. Many of these plants and flowers are endemic to this mountain.
The magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are found on the eastern foot of the mountain. Founded in , the garden that spans an area of acres includes a unique conservatory with plants from different parts of the world. While quite steep, the ascent is pretty straightforward and should take between one and three hours depending on your fitness level.
A trickier route starting on that side of the mountain is India Venster, which requires you to do a fair bit of scrambling. This route can take between two and four hours and should only be tackled by those who are fit and are familiar with the route. On the Atlantic side of the mountain, Kasteelspoort, which offers incredible views of Camps Bay, is the easiest route. There are also longer routes to the summit from the Southern Suburbs. From Constantia Nek, you can take a longer, milder walk up the jeep track to the dams at the top of the mountain.
For more info and maps of routes up Table Mountain, click here. For more details on hiking safety, click here. The cableway station at the top of the mountain has a curio shop, a shop where you can stock up on snacks, and a restaurant.
If you take the cableway up the mountain, but still want to do a little walking, there are three easy walks on the plateau — the Dassie Walk, the Agama Walk, and the Klipspringer Walk. There are also free guided walks that depart — on the hour — from the Twelve Apostles Terrace. Be sure to take along your camera!
If you are hiking up the mountain, the five dams at the top make for great picnic spots. If you head over to the Woodhead Dam, which was completed in , you can even visit the quaint little Waterworks Museum, which houses various items — including an old locomotive — that were used during the construction of the dam.
For the more adventurous, there is the option to jump off a cliff well, sort of with Abseil Africa. The abseil experience — meters down a sheer cliff — takes about 45 minutes in total and includes a demonstration, the abseil, and a short hike back up to the top.
Planning a trip to Cape Town? Book flights, browse accommodation , and rent a car now to get the best rates. The Cape Town City Pass gives you access to over 70 of the top Cape Town attractions, tours, and things to see and do, including the popular hop on hop off City Sightseeing bus.
The Mountain is influential in determining the micro-climate of Cape Town and its surrounding environment, and for many years was the principal source of potable water for the city. Its distinctive cloud cover, known popularly as "the table-cloth", or to the French as the "perruque" the wig , is said to have been the result of a tobacco smoking competition held between the Devil and Jan van Hunks, a retired privateer who inhabited the slopes of nearby Devil' Peak.
Although plans to take a railway line to its summit were mooted as early as , an aerial cableway was only built in In , during the British occupation of the Cape, three blockhouses were erected on the Mountain.
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