A visit to Cape Town without going up Table Mountain is like being in Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower or being in New York and forgetting the Statue of Liberty. Indeed: a big no-no..

The mountain - named Hoerikwaggo by the indigenous population, meaning Sea Mountain - is over a 1000 meter high. The mountain range used to be the home of a variety of wild animal species, from lion's to hippos. Unfortunately they disappeared as man encroached on their habitat.

Only smaller animals remain on the mountain - the little grysbok, porcupines, tortoises and hyrax or dassie (see picture). This creature that is the closest biological relative to the elephant.

There are many legends about Table Mountain. The following story is about the creation of Table Mountain. One day, the mighty sea dragon Nganyamba tried to prevent Qamata - an African mythological figure responsible for the creation of the world - from creating dry land.

Djobela - a one-eyed earth goddess - assisted Nganyamba. She cast a spell and four giants were born. They had the task to guard the north, south, east and west to prevent the creation of more dry land.

This resulted in many battles, and eventually the giants were defeated. Before dying, they asked Djobela to turn them into mountains so they could continue their work. The Watcher of the South - Umlindi Wemingizimu - became Table Mountain.

Scientists have, of course, a different explanation. Hundreds of millions of years ago the Cape was part of the super-continent geologists call Gondwana. Back then Table Mountain was a flat, empty plain. As the vast landmass shifted the plain slowly subsided under the sea.

For 50 million years fine sediment built up, layer after layer. Then the earth's plates buckled again and the layers of sediment were thrust upward to what are now Table Mountain, Devil's Peak and Lion's Head.

Enough reading! Put on your hiking shoes and get up there! Or take the cable car. For R115 you have return ( R60 for a single). Students pay R84.00 for a return R42.00 for a single ticket. Minors under 18 years pay R60.00 for a return and R30.00 for a single.  Family Tickets (2 Adults & 2 Children under 18) cost R295.00.

Other things to do in Cape Town:
To Do Day Cape Town
To Do Night Cape Town

 
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