Table Mountain

Declared in 1998 — though protected in practice long before, for its scenic value beside Cape Town — Table Mountain forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest of the six floral kingdoms recognised worldwide but also the one with the greatest density of plant species per unit area on the planet, with more plant species on this single mountain than in all the British Isles put together. Its characteristic vegetation, fynbos, has evolved to depend on periodic fires that trigger the germination of many of its seeds. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 as part of the Cape Floral Region, and its celebrated cable car, opened in 1929 and fitted with rotating cabins since 1997, turns through 360 degrees on the way up to give a full panorama of the city, Robben Island and the Atlantic.