Table Mountain is a flat topped mountain in southwestern of South Africa overlooking the city of Cape town and Table bay. It is a tabular shaped mountain resulting from horizontal layers of sandstone exposed to vigorous wind and water erosion. It rises 1,087 meters above sea level at its highest elevation, Maclears Beacon. The flat summit or plateau has an area of 3 kilometers and has the best views over the city and the breathtaking beaches. The perfect picture of the mountain extends from the Table Bay up to the False Bay and around the mountain to Kommetjie and the Hout Bay Valley.
There are two subsidiary peaks detached from the main mountain, the Devil’s Peak on the east of the flat summit is about 3,281 feet and the Lion’s Head to the west at 2,195 feet. The cliffs of the main plateau are separated by Platteklip Gorge that provides an easy and direct route to the summit of the mountain.
Table Mountain’s flat top is often covered by orographic cloud or the Tablecloth forming rapidly when the wind is in the southeast directed towards the mountain’s slopes. There are five mountain reservoirs that gather rainfall. This is mainly responsible for the luscious plateau vegetation. It includes disa orchids, silver trees and more than 200 species of daisies. The vegetation of the mountain falls under the protection of the Cape Floral Region. These areas are a World Heritage Site and over 2,200 species of plants are found in Table Mountain.
There is also abundance in animal life in Table Mountain. You may find tahrs or Himalayan goats and dassie or rock hyrax which is the most common animal in the mountain.
Table Mountain is not only for tourist but is also a favorite destination of the locals. The views are simply amazing and stunning. It has a cable car that takes 5-10 minutes trip for people to reach the top station. It gives the people opportunity to see from a bird’s eye view the beauty and magnificence of this nature wonder.