When you think about travelling to South Africa, what leisure place comes to your mind? For most people around the world, the answer is Table Mountain. This is arguably South Africa’s best-known landmark, but what many people don’t know is that it’s also a hiker’s paradise with numerous trails, amazing views, and plenty of interesting things to learn. Oh, and it’s part of a national park, too! All this is in the heart of South Africa’s Mother City.
South Africa’s most famous landmark, Table Mountain, is more than just a pile of rocks in the bay. A protected national park, it has some remarkable features that make it a fantastic destination for nature lovers.
The mountain forms part of Table Mountain National Park, which is globally recognized for its biodiversity with its truly unique and incredibly beautiful fauna and flora. The park encompasses the Table Mountain chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south including the seas and coastline of the peninsula.
The mountain’s original name is “Hoerikwaggo”. The indigenous Khoisan people of the Cape named the mountain Hoerikwaggo, which means ‘Mountain in the Sea’. Portuguese explorer, Antonio de Saldanha, was the first white man to hike the Mountain. He did so in 1503 and named the mountain “Taboa de Cabo”. This means ‘Table of the Cape.’ Following this, around 1652, Dutch settlers started calling it Tafelberg, which translates as Table Mountain.
It is said that Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world
The rocks of Table Mountain are said to be approximately 600 million years old. Is this not shocking and amazing?
Table Mountain itself is about 240 million years old. It is thought to be one of the oldest mountains in the world. It is older than the Alps, Andes, Rockies, and the Himalayas. Table Mountain is part of and forms the highest point of the Cape Fold Mountain range. This range forms the backbone of the Cape Peninsula. This mountain range stretches from the Cape of Good Hope in the south to Table Mountain in the north.
The mountain is rich in diverse wildlife, including the rock hyrax and a rare species of frog aptly named the “Table Mountain Ghost Frog” as it can only be found in this area of the world. Table Mountain is perhaps best known for its look and structure which resembles a table top, and this is what has given birth to its now famous name.
Table Mountain got its name because of its flat top. The flat plateau is approximately three kilometres (2 miles) from side to side. The highest point of Table Mountain is 1086 metres (3563 feet) above sea level. It’s called Maclear’s Beacon. It is named after Thomas Maclear who was the Astronomer Royal at the Cape. In 1865, Maclear instructed his assistant to build a stone cairn on the top of Table Mountain for use in a trigonometric survey. The plateau is often covered in orographic clouds, which is known as the ‘Table cloth’. The plateau is flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and by Lion’s Head to the west.
Table Mountain is probably the only Mountain in the world that has a constellation named after it (agreeably or disagreeably).
In the 18th century, French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille named a constellation after Table Mountain. The constellation is called Mensa, which means ‘table’ in Latin. You’ll find the constellation below Orion at latitudes south of 5 degrees from May through July. It can best be seen in northern latitudes in January. It is the only natural site on Earth to have a constellation of stars named after it.
Table Mountain is on the flag of Cape Town and on the City’s logo. It is one of Cape Town’s most popular visitor destinations and South Africa’s most photographed landmark. Approximately 800,000 people visit it each year. You can reach the top by hiking one of more than 350 trails or you can take the cable car. Constructed in 1929, the capacity of the first cable car was just 25 people, but nowadays it can carry up to 60 people. From the top, you can see over the Atlantic Ocean and the city. The views are spectacular and many people climb the mountain to watch the sunrise or sunset from the summit. In 2012, the mountain became one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Table Mountain has an incredibly diverse range of plant and animal life, most of which are endemic. This means they are not found anywhere else. In the national park, there are 8,200 plant species. The most common animal found on the mountain is the rock hyrax, also called the dassie. This mammal looks a bit like a rabbit or guinea pig but its closest relatives are in fact the elephant and the sirenian.
It is also important to note that the Table Mountain was once three-four times higher. However, millions of years of erosion is has caused it to shrink.
Stay tuned for more on the Table Mountain in South Africa
