TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Description

Essentials about the Table Mountain National Park in brief

Most vacationers limit their trip to Cape Town to a visit to Table Mountain. However, this is only a small part of the approximately 25,000-hectare Table Mountain National Park, which encompasses almost the entire mountain range running along the southwestern tip of Africa from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south of the Cape Peninsula.

The area of the Table Mountain National Park

The narrow headland with its valleys, bays and beaches is framed by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the warmer waters of False Bay to the east. Two world-famous landmarks lie within the park area: the majestic Table Mountain in the north and the Cape of Good Hope in the south. The national park is freely accessible almost everywhere, with some exceptions. Only at the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach and Silvermine Nature Reserve an entrance fee is charged.

The flora of the Table Mountain National Park

With its globally unique plant diversity, Table Mountain National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the Cape Floral Protected Area. An area of only 0.5 percent of the African continent is home to 20 percent of Africa’s total flora. Some plant species are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Of particular note is the species-rich fynbos. It includes a variety of ericaceous plants and hundreds of protea species. The king protea – the national flower of South Africa – is also at home here.

The wildlife of the Table Mountain National Park

Besides plant lovers, there is also plenty to see for animal fans in Table Mountain National Park. Already in primeval times, a diverse animal population lived here. Today, Table Mountain National Park is home to various species of antelope, monkeys (especially baboons), ostriches, zebras and various species of lizards, frogs and snakes. But also bird lovers get their money’s worth because of the variety of birds. The water areas along the coast and around the Cape Peninsula are known for their high dolphin population. A real tourist attraction is the whale watching from August to October. Even the great white shark feels at home here, not least because of the large seal population and the penguin colonies.