Cape Town Accommodation Venues

65km south-west of Cape Town,at the tip of the Cape Peninsula, the rugged rocks and sheer cliffs cut deep into the ocean. This outcrop is called Cape Point. Cape Point is located at 34°21'24?S, 18°29'51"E and is situated within the Southern section of Table Mountain National Park, the Cape of Good Hope entrance.

Situated at the junction of two of earth's most contrasting water masses - the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast , the Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Geographically, however, the Indian Ocean joins the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Agulhas.

The local authority proclaimed the area a nature reserve in 1938 and it was incorporated into the Table Mountain National Park in 1998. It encompasses 7 750 hectares of rich and varied flora and fauna and its 40 kilometre coastline stretches from Schuster's Bay in the west to Smitswinkel Bay in the east. The cliffs at the southern point, towering more than 200 metres above the sea, consists of three clearly defined promontories - Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cape Town.It is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

Kirstenbosch Gardens lies across an area of 528 hectares.The landscaped and developed section has increased in size over the years to 36 hectares, and there is also a nature reserve.The Garden centre is open everyday excepting Christmas Day and Easter Saturday. There are restaurants in the Gardens and just outside the Gardens are many shops,offering gifts, clothing, homeware, curios, books and plants.

Kirstenbosch, founded in 1913, grows only indigenous South African plants. The estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country.A number of trails lead through natural forest and fynbos surrounding the developed garden.

Kirstenbosch lies 13 km from Cape Town city centre, on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

This flat-topped mountain is world-renowned as Cape Town's most prominent and obvious tourist attraction. Table Mountain's level plateau is approximately 3 kilometres from side to side, surrounded by steep cliffs. Flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and Lion's Head to the west,this magnificent landmark forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town and its Table Bay harbour.You can reach the top of the mountain by hiking or by taking the Table Mountain Cable Car.

Table Mountain is at the northern end of a sandstone mountain range that forms the spine of the Cape Peninsula. At the southern side of the mountain is a lower part called the Back Table. On the Atlantic side is a majestic range known as the Twelve Apostles. The Cape Peninsula range continues southwards to Cape Point.

The highest point on Table Mountain is 1086m (above sea-level), and is towards the eastern end of the plateau. It is marked by Maclear's Beacon, a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear.

The cliffs of the main plateau are split by Platteklip Gorge ("Flat Stone Gorge"), which provides an easy and direct ascent to the summit and was the route taken by Antonio de Saldanha on the first recorded ascent of the mountain in 1503.

The flat top of the mountain is often covered by cloud spilling over the top to form the "table cloth".

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway was first built almost 78 years ago. Since then three upgrades have taken place, with the most recent in October 1997.To date the Cableway has transported more than 18 million passengers to the summit. with 800 000 visitors from all over the world using the Cableway annually.

About the cable cars

The 65-passenger cable car runs from Tafelberg Road to the top of Table Mountain. The floor rotates,giving everyone a 360 degree view on the way up.The cable car was imported from Switzerland and there are only 2 other such cable cars in the world, one in Titlis in the Swiss Alps in Switzerland, and one in Palm Springs in America.The cable cars take about 5-10 minutes to reach the top of the mountain and they travel at a speed of up to 10 meters per second.

The cable cars can carry a maximum weight of 5200 kg and works on a counter weight system weighing 134 tonnes each.The length of the cables are 1200m, and they weigh 18 tonnes.The round cable car offers excellent aerodynamics in Cape Town’s famous strong South-easter winds.The base of the cable car is in fact a water tank that can carry up to 4000 litres of fresh water used to ballast during the windy season, they also supply fresh water for visitors.