The Great Outdoors
Table Mountain
The icon of Cape Town! This magnificent table topped mountain is 1,085m (3,560ft) at it's highest point. There are many footpaths which can be followed to take you to the top, but the fastest way is via cable car. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway takes visitors to the top in under 10 minutes. While the floor rotates, you are able to look out the huge windows allowing a 360 degree aerial view of Cape Town.
The cableway was first opened in 1929 and since then, with a few upgrades, has taken thousands of people to the top of Table Mountain. There are 2 cablecars which run, one going up and one coming down at the same time. They depart every 15 minutes.
The top of the mountain is home to around 2,000 species of plants, the majority fynbos. There is also a self service restaurant called the Table Mountain Cafe which is environmentally friendly; using compostable plates instead of washable ones. This conserves 20,000 litres of water a day.
Opening hours vary from season to season, but the general times are:
- Summer: First car up at 8h00; Last car down at 21h30
- Winter: First car up at 8h00; Last car down at 18h00
www.tablemountain.net
Hiking Trails
Table Mountain Walks
There are a variety of short walks which visitors are able to take once up the mountain - The Agama Walk (360 degree views), Dassie Walk (great views of north, west and south) and the Klipspringer Walk (views along the plateau). If you are feeling a bit more energetic, a great and quite strenuous walk is up Platteklip Gorge which takes you up the mountain on the right hand side near Devils Peak (about 2 hours up and to the cablecar).
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Two popular walks through the Botanical Gardens in Kirstenbosch are Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge. These hikes are for the fairly fit and are very rewarding once you have completed them. Spectacular views!
Silvermine Nature Reserve
These routes are a good option for those with young kids or the older visitors as they are shorter and relatively gentle. One of the easier walks circles around a large reservoir and is accessible for prams and wheelchairs as there is a large boardwalk. There are picnic areas around this area and swimming is allowed in the reservoir.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Situated a mear 12 km, about a 15 minutes drive, from the Cape Town CBD is the beautiful and world famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. It is home is over 22,000 indigenous plants and is set against the backdrop of Devils Peak.
The gardens are easy to navigate around and are very well sign posted. The main pathways are paved and signboards provide information on trees and plants in the area. Golf cart tours for a minimal fee leave every hour or for those who enjoy a good walk, a daily walking tour through the gardens is offered.
Picnics are allowed in most parts of the garden or if you would prefer a proper sit down, the Silvertree Deli and Restaurant towards the bottom part of the gardens is lovely.
There is an amphitheatre in the gardens where concerts are held. Most popular are the Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts and the Carols by Candlelight.
Hot Air Ballooning
One of the most beautiful ways of taking in the South African landscapes! Hot air ballooning is described as magical and is one of the oldest forms of flight known to man.
The winelands is a fantastic area to experience this and flights are available between November and April, weather dependant. An alternative option is a flight above the Karoo which is a semi-arid region of the country where the weather is almost always ideal.