The icon that for hundreds of years and from hundreds of kilometres announced Cape Town to seafarers, Table Mountain , a 1087m flat-topped massif with dramatic cliffs and eroded gorges, dominates the northern end of the Peninsula. Its north face overlooks the city centre with the distinct formations of Lion's Head and Signal Hill to the west and Devil's Peak to the east. The west face is made up of a series of gabled formations known as the Twelve Apostles ; the southwest towers over Hout Bay and the east over the southern suburbs.

The mountain is a compelling feature in the middle of the city, a wilderness where you'll find wildlife and a substantial 1400 species of flora . Indigenous mammals include baboons, dassies and porcupines, while the animals that resemble mountain goats are Himalayan tahrs, descended from specimens introduced by Cecil Rhodes onto his estate, and which escaped to flourish on the mountain.

Reckoned the most-climbed massif in the world, Table Mountain has suffered under the constant pounding of hikers and wanton vandalism - although the damage isn't always obvious, and certainly not from the dizzying vista at the top. Every year the mountain strikes back, taking its toll of lives. One of the commonest causes of difficulties is people losing the track (often due to sudden mist falling) and becoming trapped. If you plan on tackling one of the hundreds of walks and climbs on its slopes, go properly prepared; you might also like to take a guide.