Once you arrive in Cape Town, whether you arrive by plane, train, boat or spaceship, the iconic Table Mountain is there to welcome you. Looking at it from below is one thing, but it is quite another to be atop the mountain, from where one is afforded such wonderful views of Cape Town, Robben Island, the Peninsula and beyond.
This flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town is not only a huge tourist attraction but rather a symbol where Cape Town gets its true identity. For political prisoners at Robben Island, it stood as a sign of hope. Its highest point is 1,086 meters (3,563 ft) above sea level and an estimated 2,200 species of plants are found on the mountain alone. Although animals such as the cape lion, mountain zebra or the leopard are no longer found here, the park is still home to caracals, rock hyraxes or chacma baboons. This mountain hides many surprises that wait to be discovered. It is much more than a scenic photograph background or a place from where you can take a breathtaking photo of Cape Town. One can, of course, walk up, but for the fit and agile many marked hiking trails are available which take between 1-3 hours to the top. But getting to the summit of Cape Town’s mountain is not taking candy from a kid. For some of us, the cable car way seems to take much of the troubles away. The journey takes a little more than 5 minutes and the high tech rotating cable car offers the best views of the city.
Here a few quirky facts about the Mother City’s majestic mound