This huge, time-sculpted slab of shale, sandstone, and granite that rose from the ocean some 250 million years ago is Cape Town's most instantly recognizable feature. Recently incorporated into the Cape Peninsula National Park, thereby affording it the highest level of protection, the flat-topped mountain dominates the landscape, climate, and development of the city at its feet, and provides Cape Town with a 6,000-hectare (14,820-acre) wilderness at its center. The best view of the mountain is from Table Bay (another good reason to take the Robben Island tour), from where you can get some idea of the relative size of the mountain -- while the city shrinks to nothing, the \"Mountain of the Sea\" can be seen from 150km (93 miles) at sea. Other views of the mountain are no less beautiful, particularly from the wooded eastern flanks of Constantiaberg, which greet the sun every morning, and the bare buttresses of a series of peaks named the Twelve Apostles, who are kissed by its last rays. The fact that the mountain alone has more plant varieties (some 1,470 species) than the entire British Isles is flaunted with pride, and it is thought to be the most climbed peak in the world, with some 350 paths to the summit. You can ascend the mountain on foot or via cable car and, once there, spend a few hours or an entire day exploring. The narrow table is 3km (1 3/4 miles) long and 1,086m (3,562 ft.) high. Maclear's Beacon is its highest point. The upper cable station and restaurant are on the western edge, from where you can view the Twelve Apostles towering over Camps Bay. Walk eastward and you'll have a view of the southern suburbs. The back table, with its forests, fynbos (shrublike vegetation), and the reservoirs that supply Cape Town with its water, is a wonderful place to hike, but much of it is off-limits. By cable car: Cars depart every 15 minutes from the lower station at Tafelberg Road (tel. 021/424-8181) daily (weather permitting) from 8:30am until between 7:30 and 8:30pm, depending on the season. A round-trip ticket costs R120 ($17/£9) for adults (R60/$8/£4 for pensioners), R65 ($9/£5) for children, depending on the season (free for children under 4). Operating since 1929 but upgraded in 1997, the Swiss-designed cable car has a floor that rotates 360 degrees, giving everyone a chance to gape at the breathtaking views during the 4-minute journey up. The upgrade has meant that queues are now much shorter -- even during the busiest months from November to April, the longest you'll wait is 15 minutes. Afternoons are generally less crowded. On foot: The most commonly used route to the top is via Platteklip Gorge -- the gap is visible from the front, or north face, of the mountain. The route starts just east of the lower cable station and will take 2 to 3 strenuous hours. Be sure to bring water. A more scenic route starts at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and climbs up the back via Skeleton Gorge. It's steep, requiring reasonable fitness, but should take approximately 2 hours to the summit. Rather than walk another hour to the upper cable station, most return by walking down via Nursery Ravine. Be aware that the mountain's mercurial weather can surprise even seasoned Capetonians -- more people have died on Table Mountain than on Mount Everest. Don't climb alone, stick to the paths, and take water and warm clothes. For guided hikes, contact Table Mountain Walks (tel. 021/715-6136). The Mountain Rescue number is tel. 10177 or 021/948-9900. The Table Mountain Hoerikwaggo Trail provides comfortable lodgings, catering, and baggage portering at R1,900 ($264/£136) for 2 nights and 3 days. Hikers will be able to book through the South African National Parks website (www.sanparks.org) or call tel. 021/465-8515. A Devil of a Wind -- Legend has it that the \"tablecloth,\" the white cloud that tumbles over Table Mountain, is the work of retired pirate Van Hunks, who liked nothing more than to climb Devil's Peak and smoke his pipe while overlooking Cape Town. One day the devil, not happy that someone was puffing on his patch, challenged him to a smoking contest. Needless to say, the competition continues to rage unabated, particularly in the summer months. The downside of this magnificent spectacle is that hurricane-force winds will simultaneously whip around Devil's Peak and rip into the city at speeds of up to 150kmph (93mph). The \"Cape Doctor,\" as the southeaster is often called, is said to clear the city of pollution, germs, and litter; but most just wish Van Hunks would give it up and stop infuriating the devil. For sanity's sake, head for the Atlantic seaboard, where the most protected beach is Clifton. Alternatively, escape to the Winelands, or visit in March and April, when the wind usually dies away completely.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's South Africa, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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