Why is Table Mountain so flat?

Table Mountain was originally much taller. Over millions of years the soft top eroded away to the sandstone “cap”, one of the hardest and oldest sandstones in the world to create a rare flat-topped giant – 3 kms wide – rising above the heart of Cape Town.

More than 600 million years old; it predates the Himalayas and the Alps.
Unique Fynbos makes it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A biodiversity hotspot – more plant species than in the entire UK.
For the Khoi and San, a sacred landmark, for sailors a beacon of hope rounding the Cape of Good Hope.

Dramatic scenery: sheer cliffs, cloud waterfalls (“the tablecloth”), wild hiking minutes from cafés and city streets – just a 10-minute drive from Nicol Street.

One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature; one of the world’s most photographed mountains.
Written by Colleen Backstrom, Copyright 2026

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