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Boulders Beach: where to see penguins in Cape Town?
At Boulders Beach near Simon's Town, about 45 minutes' drive south of Cape Town. A colony of African penguins lives among the coves and granite boulders, and boardwalks let you watch them from just a few metres away.
The African penguin is the continent's only penguin species. A first pair settled at Boulders in the early 1980s, and the colony grew to a few thousand birds. The species is now listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, mainly because of a shortage of fish.
What to see:
- Foxy Beach: the colony's main beach, viewed from boardwalks; this is where you'll see the most penguins.
- Boulders Beach: a small sheltered cove a few minutes' walk away, where you can swim with a few penguins, in water slightly less icy than on the Atlantic side.
- Nests in the sand and under bushes and, depending on the season, fluffy grey chicks or moulting adults standing still for weeks.
Entry costs R282 (about US$17) per adult per day. The site generally opens 8am–5pm in winter and until early evening in summer. Penguins are there year-round; allow about an hour. The car park fills by late morning; the suburban train to Simon's Town isn't recommended for reliability or safety, so drive or take an Uber or Bolt.
The rules: don't touch or feed the penguins (they bite hard), stay on the boardwalks at Foxy Beach, no drones, and keep away from nests.
If Boulders is packed, a quieter and cheaper colony lives at Stony Point in Betty's Bay, on the coast road to Hermanus.
Verdict: an unmissable stop on the way to Cape Point, best early in the morning or late afternoon. For swimming, see also our Cape Town beaches guide.
Tip: come early: the light is soft for photos, the penguins are active before heading out to fish, and the tour coaches haven't arrived yet.
Information checked in November 2026; confirm before you travel.
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- Where are the best beaches in South Africa for swimming?
- What are the best beaches in Cape Town?
- What to see on the Garden Route, South Africa?
- What to see at Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope?
- When is whale season in Hermanus?
- Can you still see great white sharks in South Africa?
- What to see on the Wild Coast, South Africa?