Table Mountain National Park - Read Howard Hillman's authoritative tips

Table Mountain
National Park

Travel tips you can trust

Why Table Mountain
National Park
is special

The park is home to two world-famous landmarks: Table Mountain and Cape Point (see montage photos 1 and 4). The Table Mountain National Park also offers interesting pursuits like Boulder Beach, Silvermine, Signal Hill, and Chapman's Peak Drive.

Table Mountain
National Park
tips and insights

Table Mountain

The north face of this flat-top mountain provides Cape Town's iconic backdrop.

Table Mountain's top rim has a breathtaking viewpoint, which you reach by trail or cable car. The latter slowly spins 360 degrees as it moves, giving you a changing view of the sea, mountains, and Cape Town.

Even though it's warm in Cape Town, bring an extra layer of clothing because you will be in a windy spot over 1,000 meters (3,500 feet) above sea level.

Cape Point

This craggy-cliff cape (see photo) lies about 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Table Mountain. Cape Point is the southern tip of the Cape of Good Hope - and can be treacherous in stormy seas, as shipwrecks attest.

Many people erroneously believe that Cape Point is Africa's southernmost tip. The true spot lies much farther east on the South African coast. Another misconception is that the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean near Cape Point.

Location in South Africa