Table Mountain is the flat-topped South African landmark overlooking Cape Town and Table Bay.
The mountain forms the northern end of the Table Mountain range on the Cape Peninsula. Its distinctive plateau reaches about 1,085 metres at Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point on the mountain. The summit’s level profile is created by resistant sandstone layers shaped by geological uplift and erosion.
A famous cloud layer called the “tablecloth” often spreads across the plateau when moist air rises from the sea and condenses. The effect is especially associated with south-easterly winds, although the cloud is a weather phenomenon rather than a permanent feature.
Table Mountain is part of Table Mountain National Park, which protects unusually rich Cape flora, including many species of the Cape Floristic Region. The mountain is often confused with nearby Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, but those peaks have different shapes and are separate landforms. Aerial cableway access to the upper mountain began in 1929.