Simon’s Town is a small, well-preserved naval town on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, built up around a natural harbour that’s served as a South African naval base since the early twentieth century and a Royal Navy station before that. Its Victorian-era high street, lined with period buildings now housing cafes and shops, is worth a slow walk on its own. But almost everyone comes for one thing just south of town: Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins that visitors can watch — and in the right spots, swim alongside — at close range, one of the few places in the world where that’s possible.
| Where | False Bay coast, about 40 minutes from the city centre |
| Main draw | The African penguin colony at Boulders Beach |
| Entry | Paid entry to the Boulders section of Table Mountain National Park |
| Time needed | Half a day covering the town and the penguins |
| Best time | Morning, for quieter boardwalks and more active penguins |
The penguins, and why they matter
African penguins are listed as an endangered species, with wild populations having declined sharply over recent decades due to a combination of historical egg collection, commercial fishing pressure on their food supply, oil spills, and habitat disturbance. Boulders Beach is one of only a handful of mainland breeding colonies left — most African penguin colonies are on offshore islands — which makes it both an unusually accessible wildlife encounter and a genuinely important conservation site, not just a photo opportunity. The colony established itself here in the 1980s and has grown into one of the most visited penguin colonies anywhere, precisely because of how close visitors can get via the boardwalks without disturbing the birds.
Boulders penguin colony entry ticketBoardwalks versus the swimming beach
Boulders has two distinct areas worth understanding before you go. The main viewing boardwalks, part of the paid national park section, run above and alongside the breeding colony, letting you watch penguins nesting, preening, and moving between the rocks and the water from a set distance that protects both visitors and birds. Separately, a public beach area nearby allows swimming, and penguins do sometimes swim and forage in that same water — though seeing them in the water isn’t guaranteed on any given visit, since it depends on their feeding patterns that day.
Simon’s Town guided tour with penguin viewingA walking-focused version of the same idea covers Simon’s Town’s historic centre first, then finishes at the colony, which suits visitors who want the town’s history rather than a colony-only stop.
Simon’s Town walking tour with penguin viewingSimon’s Town itself
The town’s naval history runs deep — it’s still home to the South African Navy’s main base, and the high street’s Victorian and Edwardian buildings reflect over a century of continuous use as a strategic harbour town rather than a tourist reconstruction. Just Nuisance, a Great Dane who was formally enlisted in the Royal Navy during the Second World War (reportedly the only dog ever to hold official naval rank), has a statue on the main street and remains a genuinely charming piece of local history worth the five minutes to find. Seaforth Beach, a short walk from the harbour, is a calmer, family-friendly swimming spot if you want sea time without the crowds at Boulders itself.
Combining it with the rest of the peninsula
Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach sit on the route most visitors take towards Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, making this a natural first or last stop on a full peninsula day. A combined tour covering both saves the logistics of separate trips and typically includes the drive along the scenic coastal road between the two.
Cape Point, Boulders Beach and Simon’s Town tourVisiting the penguins responsibly
Stay on the marked boardwalks and paths at all times — this isn’t only about visitor safety (penguins bite, and their beaks are sharper than they look) but about not disturbing a breeding colony of an endangered species during nesting season. Don’t touch or attempt to feed the penguins, keep noise down near the nesting areas, and give right of way if a penguin is crossing a path, which happens more often than you’d expect since they nest in the dune vegetation above the beach as well as along the shore.
Getting there by train
Simon’s Town sits at the southern end of the Southern Line railway, which runs down the False Bay coast from central Cape Town through Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, and Fish Hoek before terminating here — a genuinely scenic route for most of its length, hugging the coastline for long stretches. It’s a pleasant, low-effort way to arrive if your schedule allows for train timetables and you’re comfortable skipping a car for the day, though check current service and safety advice before relying on it, since reliability on this line has varied over the years. Most visitors doing a full Cape Point day still drive, since the reserve itself isn’t served by rail.
Practicalities
Entry to the Boulders section of the park requires a paid ticket, separate from general Table Mountain National Park access, and rates are reviewed periodically — check the current fee before you go rather than budgeting from an old figure. The boardwalks are wheelchair and pushchair accessible in the main sections, though some of the connecting paths involve steps. Parking at Boulders itself is limited in peak season; arriving early avoids both the crowds and the parking search.
The South African Naval Museum
Housed in a former naval store near the harbour, the South African Naval Museum covers the town’s long military history, from its use as a Royal Navy station through to its current role as the South African Navy’s main base, with exhibits including retired equipment and displays on the country’s naval history more broadly. It’s a modest, unhurried stop rather than a major attraction, but it fills in context for the naval architecture and the harbour’s continued military use that’s otherwise easy to walk past without understanding.
Shaping your half day
The simplest rhythm is penguins first, town second. Arrive early while the boardwalks are quiet, spend as long as you like watching the colony, then drive or walk back into Simon’s Town for lunch and a stroll along the high street. If you reverse the order, you risk reaching the colony at the busiest part of the day, which is exactly when parking and the viewing platforms are under most pressure. For a deeper look at the colony itself, the Boulders Beach penguins guide goes into behaviour and etiquette, and the wider Simon’s Town guide covers the town street by street.
Visitors who prefer not to organise anything can let someone else handle the logistics. A guided outing such as a guided visit to the town and the penguin colony removes the parking question, while a walking-focused format keeps the pace slow and the commentary centred on the harbour and its history. If you are weighing independent travel against an organised day, the comparison in Cape Peninsula by self-drive or by tour lays out the trade-offs honestly.
Where the penguins are not the only wildlife
False Bay is a rich stretch of coast, and a visit here rewards anyone who looks beyond the boardwalk. Seabirds work the rocks and the harbour wall, and the surrounding water is part of a much larger marine story. If wildlife is what brings you to the peninsula, the year-round wildlife guide shows how the seasons change what you can expect to see, and the birdwatching guide is useful if you carry binoculars. For a boat-based encounter with marine animals elsewhere in the area, see the seal island boat trips guide. Divers will find the underwater side of False Bay covered in the kelp forest diving guide.
Penguins are also easy to see in more than one way, and the blog post on where to find penguins near Cape Town helps you decide how much of the experience you want to build your day around.
The drive and the villages along the way
Part of the appeal of Simon’s Town is the journey down the False Bay coast. The road and the railway both thread through a string of seaside villages, and each rewards a short stop. Muizenberg is the surf town with its colourful beachfront, and Kalk Bay is the working harbour with its cafes, galleries and second-hand shops. The two are described together in the Kalk Bay and Muizenberg guide, and they make an easy morning on the way to the penguins or an easy afternoon on the way back.
If you drive, the practical notes in car hire in Cape Town and driving in South Africa are worth reading beforehand, particularly if you are used to driving on the other side of the road. If you would rather not drive at all, getting around Cape Town and the itinerary for Cape Town without a car explain how to reach the peninsula using trains, ride-hailing and organised transport. The guide to Uber in Cape Town is handy if you plan to hop between the station, the harbour and the colony.
Going on to Cape Point
Simon’s Town is the natural staging post for the southern tip of the peninsula. After the penguins, the road continues towards Cape Point, where the dramatic headland, the lighthouse and the nature reserve take most of a day on their own. The Cape Point guide explains what to expect, and the Cape Peninsula day tour guide shows how the penguins, the cape and the coastal drive fit together. If you want the scenery without the driving, a full-day peninsula tour that combines the cape, the penguins and the town is the straightforward answer. Those who prefer the Atlantic side for the return leg can add Chapman’s Peak and the Chapman’s Peak Drive guide to the day.
Weather, wind and what to bring
The peninsula’s weather changes quickly, and the wind is the main variable. A calm, sunny morning can turn blustery by the afternoon, which is another reason to go early. The background to this is explained in the Cape Doctor wind guide, and the month-by-month weather guide helps you pick the right layers. A windproof jacket, sun protection, a hat and sturdy shoes for the boardwalks and the dune paths make sense in almost any season. If you plan to swim, the guide to water temperature across the two oceans sets honest expectations: False Bay is generally gentler than the Atlantic side, but it is still a cold-water coast, and the Cape Town beaches guide compares the options if Boulders does not suit your mood.
Visiting with children
Few peninsula stops work as well for families. The penguins hold children’s attention without any effort, the boardwalks are short enough for small legs, and Seaforth Beach offers a gentler place to splash afterwards. Bring snacks and water, keep young children close to you on the walkways, and explain beforehand that the birds are wild and must not be touched. More ideas for the rest of the day are in the guide to Cape Town with kids and the family-friendly day trips guide, and a longer plan built around younger travellers is laid out in the five-day itinerary for families.
If you prefer to secure access in advance rather than queue, a prebooked entry to the penguin colony keeps the arrival simple, particularly in busy periods.
Fitting Simon’s Town into a longer trip
Simon’s Town works best as part of a wider plan rather than a standalone excursion. On a short stay, it slots into the peninsula day described in the one-day itinerary or the two-day itinerary. With more time, the three-day itinerary gives the peninsula room to breathe, and the first-timer itinerary places the penguins alongside the city’s headline sights. If you are still deciding how long to stay overall, the how many days in Cape Town guide and the trip planning guide will help, and the best day trips from Cape Town put the peninsula in context with the alternatives.
Visitors interested in the wider story of the city’s coast and its people might also enjoy the Cape Malay culture guide or the history of the city through its museums, both of which add depth to a visit that might otherwise be only about the birds. For a different kind of wildlife day, Cape Point and the safari options near Cape Town show how much variety fits within reach of the city.
A responsible way to enjoy the colony
The colony exists here because the birds found a protected, food-rich shore, and your visit is part of how the site is funded and managed. Behaving well matters more than any single photograph. The responsible tourism guide discusses the choices that keep wildlife encounters sustainable, and it applies directly here: stay on the boardwalks, give nesting birds space, and resist the urge to chase a closer shot. Patience is rewarded at Boulders, because penguins regularly wander into view on their own terms.
For photographers, the photography spots guide offers ideas for light and composition across the peninsula, and the list of Cape Town viewpoints is worth browsing if you want a wider panorama after the colony. Early light over False Bay, with the harbour and the mountains behind, is one of the more rewarding scenes on the whole route.
