Cape Town - known as the "Mother City" because it was here that the Dutch established the first European settlement in 1652 - is set on a sweeping bay with Table Mountain as a dramatic backdrop.

The Cape Peninsula is home to that most famous and beautiful national monument - Table Mountain. Table Mountain is 1,086 metres above sea level. It is flanked by Lion's Head and Signal Hill and precedes the Twelve Apostles in the mountain chain. Table Mountain's upper part consists of rock that is subdivided into rectangular chunks, with horizontal and vertical divisions. The upper material is known as Table Mountain Series (TMS). It is horizontally layered as a result of being deposited originally as a sediment under a body of water. All the TMS mountain caps were once connected many years ago in one large piece stretching across the present-day Cape Flats. These were slowly eroded, weaker sections first, and the northern part of Table Mountain has a fairly flat surface as a result. The base of the TMS descends and disappears into the sea further south in the Peninsula.

The Peninsula's Mediterranean climate is one of the most pleasant in the world. It's long summer has it's peak during December and February with temperatures averaging at around 28 °C. The prevailing wind during summer and autumn is from SSE to SSW, mainly from October to March, and is generally known as "The Southeaster", or the "Cape Doctor". The prevailing wind during winter and spring blows from N to NW, mainly between May and August, and is called the Northwester. This wind is not as strong as the South Easter and occurs less frequently. It precedes a cold front and is therefore followed by much needed rain. The rainy season peaks during June and July, but of late the rainy days have reduced in number and Cape Town winters often produce perfect summery days. As a result, winter in Cape Town has become known as the "secret season".

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