Devil's Peak, Mountain summit in Cape Town, South Africa

Devil's Peak is a 1,000-metre sandstone summit on the eastern side of Table Mountain, its layered grey and tan rock rising to a single pointed peak above Cape Town. Horizontal bands of stone alternate with ledges of brownish and green fynbos, a rounded shoulder extends left of the peak, and a long ridge descends to the right toward the city and trees below.

The mountain became part of the early European settlement in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck established a Dutch East India Company post. Over time, defensive structures and military installations were built on the slopes to protect the expanding settlement.

The name comes from a legend about the pirate van Hunks, who settled on the peak in the early 18th century and won a smoking contest against a stranger who turned out to be the devil; the smoke became the cloud cover known as the tablecloth of Table Mountain. The name was earlier Taubenspitze (dove's peak), and Dutch speakers confused the similar-sounding words for dove and devil.

Hikers reach the saddle between Devil's Peak and Table Mountain via Newlands Ravine or Saddle Ravine, then follow a straightforward path to the summit. As of January 2026 crime poses a threat on the lower slopes, so access is advised through Newlands Forest. Avoid Second Waterfall Ravine, which has been linked to fatalities.

The name may come from a Dutch pun: the peak was once called Taubenspitze (Dove's Peak), and "duif" (dove) sounded close to "duiwel" (devil). A 1795 British blockhouse built by General Sir James Craig, the Lion's Blockhouse, is a national monument. An abandoned fire lookout sits high on Mowbray Ridge.