Table Mountain National Park: a Guide

The chain of mountains that stretches between Signal Hill and Cape Point, in South Africa, makes up Table Mountain Park which includes the coastline of the South African peninsula. The most famous landmark in South Africa, Table Mountain, is in the park.

The park was set up in 1998, and unlike other parks in the country, it is surrounded entirely by a city, so it is broken up by urban developments and privately owned land. Because of this, as well as the fact that only certain parts of it require payment, Table Mountain Park is the most visited park in the whole of South Africa, taking about 4.2 million visits a year.

The massive variety of flora and fauna in the park is world famous, people coming from all around to see it. There is also a geographical variance as well in its big flat salts and steep rocky valleys. The two distinct coastlines each offer a different kind of coastal experience as well; the east, known as False Bay, having a calmer sea, while the west sees the rougher waters of the Atlantic.

Among the activities in Table Mountain Park, there is the obvious option of climbing the Mountain on one of the many different hiking trails. This is an exhilarating walk, offering the reward of amazing views of the city at the top. If you don’t fancy the walk, however, you can take a cable car to the top and relax overlooking the rest of the park. Sheer faces like Africa Face, however, beckon world-class climbers to come and test their mettle.

There are areas where you can go mountain biking too, and the steep mountain slopes make the perfect environment for it. Hang Gliding and Paragliding are also catered for in certain areas. And the coastlines have a lot to offer for scuba divers in the many wrecks you can see, and the variety of ocean life.

Check out Cape Town hotels.