A colony of African penguins on a sheltered, boulder-strewn beach at Simon's Town, 45 minutes from Cape Town. Boardwalks put you a few metres from the birds, and you can swim in the same calm cove.
Forty-five minutes south of Cape Town, on the False Bay side of the peninsula, a colony of a couple of thousand African penguins has settled on a run of sheltered, granite-boulder beaches at Simon’s Town. Boulders Beach is where you meet them.
It’s part of Table Mountain National Park. Wooden boardwalks run right over the main colony at Foxy Beach, where the penguins nest, bray and waddle a few metres from your feet. Next door, the sheltered cove that gives the beach its name lets you swim among the boulders in calm, clear water, often with a penguin or two for company.
African penguins are endangered, so the rules are simple: look and photograph, but don’t touch. They bite, and they nest in the bushes and even under parked cars. Most visitors fold Boulders into a Cape Peninsula day trip with the Cape of Good Hope and Chapman’s Peak Drive, and the naval town of Simon’s Town next door, with its cafés and Victorian main street, is worth a wander too.
See the penguins from the boardwalks, then swim next door — two coves, a short walk apart.
Wooden walkways run right over the main colony at Foxy Beach, where hundreds of penguins nest, bray and waddle a few metres from your feet. The easy, step-free way to see them up close, and where the photos happen.
Next door, the sheltered cove that gives the beach its name lets you swim among giant granite boulders in calm, clear water. Penguins often potter along the same sand, so keep your distance and let them be.
The boardwalks are quietest and the penguins most active first thing. Mornings also dodge the tour-bus crowds that build through the day in summer.
African penguins are endangered and they bite hard. Keep your distance, don't feed them, and watch small children around the birds.
The Foxy Beach boardwalk and the Boulders cove swimming beach have separate gates a short walk apart. Pay the conservation fee at either.
Boulders sits on the same peninsula loop as the Cape of Good Hope and Chapman's Peak Drive. Most day tours do all three.
Penguins nest in the bushes and sometimes shelter under parked cars. Have a quick look before you drive off.
The historic naval town next door has cafés, a Victorian main street and a small penguin-free beach if you'd rather avoid the fee.
See the penguins on a guided peninsula trip booked through our trusted partners — the same price as booking direct.
The full-day favourite from Cape Town: an hour with the penguins at Boulders Beach, plus Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.
Book on GetYourGuide →A shorter loop via Chapman's Peak Drive taking in Cape Point and the Boulders penguins when time is tight.
See half-day tours →A full day combining Table Mountain, Cape Point and the penguins in a single ticket.
See combo tours →Guesthouses in Simon's Town and along the False Bay coast, within walking distance of the colony.
Find a stay →We may earn a commission when you book through our partner links — at no extra cost to you.
Boulders is one stop on the Cape Peninsula. See everything else the Mother City has nearby.
