Table Bay (Afrikaans: Tafelbaai) is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. Overlooked by Cape Town, the bay is dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain, from which it takes its name.
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👉 Table Bay in the context of Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula (Afrikaans: Kaapse Skiereiland) of South Africa is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end is Table Mountain, overlooking Table Bay and the City Bowl of Cape Town, South Africa. The peninsula is 52 km long from Mouille point in the north to Cape Point in the south. The Peninsula has been an island on and off for the past 5 million years, as sea levels fell and rose with the ice age and interglacial global warming cycles of, particularly, the Pleistocene. The last time that the Peninsula was an island was about 1.5 million years ago. Soon afterwards it was joined to the mainland by the emergence from the sea of the sandy area now known as the Cape Flats. The towns and villages of the Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats, and the undeveloped land of the rest of the peninsula now form part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The Cape Peninsula is bounded to the north by Table Bay, to the west by the open Atlantic Ocean, and to the east by False Bay in the south and the Cape Flats in the north.
The peninsula is mostly the mountainous remnant of very old durable sandstone formations with low dip, deposited unconformably on an ancient underlying granite peneplain. The climate is of the Mediterranean type, with predominantly winter rainfall and mild temperatures, and the natural vegetation is exceptionally diverse, with an unusually large number of endemic plant species for an area of this size, many of which are endangered, and threatened by human activity and encroachment, but are to some extent protected on the large part of the peninsula which is in Table Mountain National Park. The coastal waters include a major seaport in Table Bay, and a marine protected area in the two adjacent but significantly different marine ecoregions, which meet at Cape Point. Most of the lower lying coastal land of the central and northern peninsula has been developed as first agricultural, and later urban areas. The rocky uplands have historically avoided development because of difficult access, poor soils and steep slopes, and more recently have been legally protected as being of high ecological importance, but are threatened by illegal land invasion and informal settlement.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Table Bay
- 👉 Table Bay in the context of Cape Peninsula
- Table Bay in the context of Castle of Good Hope
- Table Bay in the context of City Bowl
- Table Bay in the context of Port of Cape Town
- Table Bay in the context of Foreshore, Cape Town
- Table Bay in the context of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
- Table Bay in the context of Robben Island
- Table Bay in the context of Devil's Peak (Cape Town)
- Table Bay in the context of Woodstock, Cape Town
Table Bay in the context of Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope (Dutch: Kasteel de Goede Hoop; Afrikaans: Kasteel die Goeie Hoop) is a 17th century bastion fort in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland. In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument (now a provincial heritage site) and following restorations in the 1980s it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.
Table Bay in the context of City Bowl
The City Bowl is a part of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak.
The area includes the Cape Town central business district (CBD), the harbour, the Company's Garden, and the residential suburbs of De Waterkant, Devil's Peak Estate, District Six, Zonnebloem, Gardens, Higgovale, Oranjezicht, Schotsche Kloof, Tamboerskloof, University Estate, Vredehoek, Walmer Estate and Woodstock.
Table Bay in the context of Port of Cape Town
The Port of Cape Town is a seaport situated next to the central business district of Cape Town, South Africa. The port, which lies within Table Bay, is managed by the Transnet National Ports Authority, a subsidiary of state-owned enterprise Transnet. It is one of 8 ports in South Africa, and among its busiest, facilitating tourist and container ships. The port is also the largest in the Western Cape province.
Much of the port's land operations are situated in the Foreshore area, formed from reclaimed land when the port was rebuilt. The reclamation expanded Cape Town CBD's area significantly. It sits next to the V&A Waterfront, which has docking for private yachts in its marina, docking for tour boats near the mall, a dry dock, and cruise ship docking facilities for ships under a certain size.
Table Bay in the context of Foreshore, Cape Town
The Foreshore is an area in Cape Town, South Africa, situated in the city's central business district (CBD), between the historic city centre and the Port of Cape Town. It is built on land reclaimed from Table Bay in the 1930s and 1940s, in connection with the construction of the Duncan Dock, to replace the old harbor.
Because of its development later on, many buildings in the Foreshore have more modern architecture than those situated in older parts of Cape Town CBD, closer towards District Six, Table Mountain, and De Waterkant.
Table Bay in the context of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is a cable car transportation system offering visitors a five-minute ride to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. It is one of Cape Town's most popular tourist attractions with approximately one million people a year using the Cableway.
The upper cable station is on the westernmost end of the Table Mountain plateau, at an elevation of 1,067 metres (3,501 ft). The upper cable station offers views over Cape Town, Table Bay and Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south. Amenities at the upper station include free guided walking tours, an audio tour, meal options at a café and a wi-fi lounge.
Table Bay in the context of Robben Island
Robben Island (Afrikaans: Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the archaic Dutch word for seals (robben), hence the Dutch/Afrikaans name Robbeneiland, which translates to Seal(s) Island.
Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 kilometres (2 miles) long north–south, and 1.9 km (1+1⁄8 mi) wide, with an area of 5.08 km (1+31⁄32 sq mi). It is flat and only a few metres above sea level, as a result of an ancient erosion event. It was fortified and used as a prison from the late-seventeenth century until 1996, after the end of apartheid.
Table Bay in the context of Devil's Peak (Cape Town)
Devil's Peak is part of the mountainous backdrop to Cape Town, South Africa. When looking at Table Mountain from the city centre, or when looking towards the city across Table Bay, the skyline from left to right consists of Devil's Peak, the flat summit of Table Mountain, the peak of Lion's Head, and Signal Hill.
The central districts of Cape Town are located within this natural amphitheatre. The city grew out of a settlement founded on the shore below the mountains in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck, for the Dutch East India Company. Some of the first farms in the Cape were established on the slopes of Devil's Peak, along the Liesbeek River.
Table Bay in the context of Woodstock, Cape Town
Woodstock is one of the earliest suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa, between the docks of Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak, about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) east of the city centre of Cape Town. Woodstock is served by Woodstock and Esplanade railway stations, and has the postal code 7925 for street addresses and 7915 for post office box deliveries.