There is a gnarled finger of land projecting near the southern tip of the African continent...
It is a place of incomparable beauty.
Rejecting Portuguese explorer Diaz’s description of the Cape of Storms in 1488, the King of Portugal named it the Cape of Good Hope, which epitomises the spirit of goodwill that carried South Africa through to a new era of democracy.
This peninsula, which defies the onslaught of the southern oceans, was formed before the last ice age and sculpted over millions of years by the elements. The chronicler of Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation called it ‘the most stately thing, and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.’
From Hoeri ‘kwaggo (Sea Mountain), the name given by the first Khoi inhabitants, to Taboa do cabo (Table of the Cape), given centuries later in 1503 by Antonio da Saldanha, a Portuguese admiral and explorer, Table Mountain signified an eagerly awaited landfall.
It was not long before the mountain was regarded as one of the great natural wonders of the world, not only for its imposing grandeur but also for the diversity of its rich and beautiful flora. The Cape Peninsula hosts the richest floral kingdom in the world. In an area of some 500 square kilometres, there are over 2 600 plant species – more than in the entire British Isles (and more species of heather than even Scotland). Table Mountain is home to over 1 700 of these species.
This peninsula is nature’s masterpiece, dominated by an imposing mountain spine, criss-crossed by valleys, and constrained by sheer cliffs rising from the oceans. At the northern flank, the mountain chain terminates majestically at Table Mountain, flanked by Devil’s Peak on the one side and Lion’s Head and Signal Hill on the other – like two arms cradling the city.
Table Mountain runs from east to west and squarely addresses the African continent to the north. Within this mountain face, Africa Face traces the outline of Africa in the contours of the topography and nearby, to the east, one can identify India Face.
It is a mountain shrouded in mystery and mystique. Legends began with the earliest Khoi inhabitants; even today it is regarded as one of the energy centres of the earth and the only feature on earth represented in the heavens, complete with tablecloth – the cloud that periodically covers the mountain.
Devil’s Peak has the myth of Van Hunks, a retired pirate who smoked an evil-smelling pipe. Van Hunks was last seen challenging a stranger to a smoking competition on the mountainside. They puffed until the mountain was covered in a dense cloud – the origin of the tablecloth – but Van Hunks was never seen again. He’s still puffing with the Devil!
With the mountain as one of the most recognisable beacons on the globe, it’s for good reason that Cape Town became known as The Tavern of the Seas – it provides a haven and hospitality for the weary traveller.
Today, now that SA has re-entered the world community, this mountainous outcrop is being rediscovered as one of the most breathtaking destinations, unparalleled in the melodramatic diversity of its natural beauty.
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Mountains – from sheer cliffs which rise from the oceans to valley upon valley separated by craggy peaks, forests, beaches, winelands and wheatlands, and the traditional Cape Dutch architecture responded by taking its cue from the grandeur of the setting.
It is a large and sophisticated city by any standards with hotels which number among the best in the world. The city’s architecture traces the influence of Dutch and English occupations, alongside settlers from France, Germany and the East. Cape Town is also home to the South African Parliament and a host of outstanding museums, the SA National Gallery and the SA Library.
An ideal place to start savouring the beauty is at the
Victoria &
Alfred Waterfront. The breathtaking backdrop of the
mountain, ever-changing as the play of light and cloud reveals
different textures, can be enjoyed from many of the 40 restaurants
and taverns, while one sips a glass of Cape wine or
Waterfront-brewed beer.
Boat and helicopter trips also
start here, and offer a unique but essential perspective of the
mountain chain. Boat trips take in the Atlantic suburbs and the
range which steps back from Table Mountain called the Twelve
Apostles.
In the middle of Table Bay, Robben Island
is a reminder of a period in history that South Africa has
left behind. Ferries now ply the route to the Island each day – a
trip which for many is a pilgrimage.
Another option is to take
the cable
car to the top of Table Mountain. Opened in 1929 and completely
upgraded in 1998, the trip to the 3000 foot summit takes five
minutes. Here, locals with a picnic and a bottle of wine, watch the
sun set over the Atlantic as the city lights start twinkling below.
In the distance lie False Bay, Hout Bay and the mountains stretching
to Cape Point. On a hot day, dassies or rock rabbits sun themselves
on the boulders all around. The creatures are, in spite of their
size, the closest living relative to the elephant!
But Cape Town does not only live in the past; it has
some of the most exciting shopping and entertainment. Century City,
which opened late in 2000, is the largest shopping centre in Africa.
A drive around the peninsula takes in a world of
superlatives derived from differing microclimates as one passes from
one side of the multi-faceted mountain chain to another. Sunlight –
filtered by mountain ranges or clouds, or reflected by a sea which
varies from an azure blue to a stormy grey – gives Cape Town its
unique quality of light; rich in colour and contrast. Because of
this, the city is an international centre for fashion photography
and television commercials, and the Cape Town Film Office
facilitates more filming than any other city in the world.
Driving around the peninsula can stretch from half a day to a day
or more. Leaders in the Annual Cycle Tour, which attracts 35 000
competitors, complete the 110km course in just over two hours!
Leaving the city, one drives around the back of
Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch – home to the National Botanical
Gardens – nestles at the foot of Table Mountain at the southern
face. It is a treasure trove of indigenous flora, and a popular
destination for family outings.
One travels down the False Bay
coast, through the historic naval base at Simon’s Town, and returns
along the Atlantic coast to Kommetjie. The favoured route is along
the breathtaking Chapman’s Peak drive, but this is closed following
rockfalls which require major work to the route. The alternative
route is over Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Road) into the Tokai and
Constantia valleys, home to the Cape’s first wine estates. Groot
Constantia, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting and Steenberg are
all worth a visit.
Then, driving over Constantia Nek one enters
Hout Bay, a picturesque fishing village, and along to the Atlantic
suburbs – and the world famous beaches at Camps Bay and Clifton.
Where else in the world can you go swimming alongside penguins
or dolphins? Penguin colonies are found near Simon’s Town and on
Robben Island; while early morning swimmers at Camps Bay may be
entertained by large schools of dolphins frolicking in the surf.
It is at Cape Point that the warm Mozambique current of the
Indian Ocean meets the cold Benguela current that sweeps up from the
Antarctic into the Atlantic Ocean. While the Benguela causes desert
conditions in the Namib, a thousand kilometres to the north, it
nurtures Cape Town’s environmental diversity and provides an ocean
teaming with pelagic fish feeding in plankton-rich waters.
A
half hour drive takes one into the country, to towns which are now
synonymous with wine – Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. On these
historic estates, set on steep mountainsides and in lush valleys,
the whitewashed gables and thatched roofs of manor houses pay
tribute to 300 years of wine making.
Whale
watching, around the Peninsula and further afield to Hermanus and Gansbaai,
now rivals the 'Big Five' in the attention of visitors.
“By any standard, the Cape Town region of South Africa is one
of the most beautiful and compelling places to visit on the planet…
Here, in addition to a city with fascinating historic sites,
excellent museums, vibrant markets and a handsomely restored
waterfront … I encountered mountain wilderness, rugged coastlines,
sandy beaches, lush gardens, beautiful wine estates, superior hotels
and some of the warmest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met.”
– RICHARD BUSCH, TRAVEL EDITOR, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELER.
