Boulders Beach Reviews - Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

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Editor Pick

We Had Happy Feet!

  • March 29, 2025
  • Rated 5 of 5 by catsholiday from ashbourne, United Kingdom

We left Cape Town quite early in the morning for our leisurely drive along past the Twelve Apostles Mountain peaks along the Chapman’s Peak coast road via Hout’s Bay and through to the Cape of Good Hope.
We drive along the Great Ocean Road in South Australia and I have to say that this road is infinitely superior in terms of views and stunning vistas. Ever turn gave a ‘Ohh ‘or ‘Wow’ from one of us with bright blue sky, silver lined sandy coasts and secluded harbour towns nested in safe coves.

We reached the Cape of Good Hope and rushed up the hill to the top to see the last of the Atlantic waves crashing over the huge rocks. We also walked to the top of the peak at cape Point. Having walked to the top of both points we were now ready for moving on to Boulder’s Bay near Simon’s town where we hoped to see some African penguins.

We followed signs for penguins and parked our car and then followed more signs for penguins until we reached a kiosk. We paid 35R per person to enter the area and off we went along the first board walk. We were so thrilled to see three penguins resting on some rocks and spent some minutes taking photos before we moved on. As we rounded the corner they were everywhere. I have never seen so many penguins just chilling, lying, standing, drying their wings, kissing and nest digging. We took so many photos I think we almost filled our memory card. They were absolutely beautiful and so not bothered by all the tourists walking along the board walk and photographing them.

We must have spent about an hour on both board walks before we really began to feel the need for some food so we reluctantly left our new friends and went along to the restaurant we had seen near the car park with views of the ocean. This was called the ‘Sea Forth’. We ordered various fish and sea food dishes. My husband and I did particularly well with the warm seafood salad as we had so much sea food and also piles of salad. I ate continuously while everyone else ate and was still able to had a plate full of salad and 4 large prawns over to the boys. One son had scampi and chips and the other had Cape salmon and chips as well as sharing half my meal.

Both boys were keen to visit a beach and swim in the Indian Ocean so we went back to Boulders Beach and paid another 35R each to get on the beach. Amazingly once we were on the beach we noticed penguins on the rocks around the beach. As we were changing two of the little chaps waddled down between the groups of people and slipped in to the sea. This was where you could swim with the penguins which had read about but thought it had been an error. It was truly an amazing experience.

My husband was in the sea with penguins darting around him. It was a little too cold for me but we did go over to the rocks and chat to t he penguins on the rock. One little chap was having a head rolling conversation with my son and we got some stunning photos of this and also as they popped into the sea and swam around our legs.

This was the icing on the cake and a truly magical experience to be able to get so close to wild animals and interact with them. They were totally unbothered by people. They apparently do bite but if you were sensible and just stayed quiet near them rather than trying to touch them then they were happy for you to be there.

For the price I think this experience would take some beating if you like animals and enjoy seeing them in their natural habitat. This is a memory that will be in my top experiences and I would thoroughly recommend visiting Boulders Bay if you want to see penguins in the wild up very close and even swim with them if you don’t mind the water being a bit fresh. I wouldn’t recommend swimming in winter as we were there in summer in January and it was still a bit too cold for me to go right in the sea!
Editor Pick

Penguin Watching

  • October 16, 2025
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Meggysmum from Oxford, United Kingdom

Visiting Cape Town is a memorable experience, the area offers such beauty and variety that it can be difficult to distinguish the high-lights a trip. However anyone who wants a unique experience should head off to Boulders Beach.

Boulders Beach is now part of the Table Mountain National Park. It is situated near Simons Town which is on the Cape peninsula, South of Cape Town. In the early 1980s a pair of breeding penguins was seen on the beach and now the colony has grown to over 2500.

The species here is the African Penguin which is also sometimes known as the Jackass Penguin due to its distinctive call; it has also been called the Black-footed Penguin. Boulders Beach is actually a group of beaches that are separated by granite rocks so the water is relatively safe and calm and a little warmer than some of the beaches of Cape Town.

Access to the beaches is R15 for adults and R5 for children (prices 2009). Once on the beach you can swim and picnic and you may well find that you have penguins for company. The birds seem totally uninterested in their human companions and the opportunity to see them at such close quarters is not to be missed. They are quite a small breed of penguin and they do look very cute and cuddly but you are wise not to touch. They can be aggressive and they can give a nasty bite. However if you do not attempt to touch them you can observe them from a long time without any problems.

A wooden walkway has been constructed from the first beach to Foxy beach where you will find the majority of the colony. The walkway restricts human access to the beach and the majority of birds congregate in this less hectic setting. The raised walkways meander down the beach and there are several viewing spots to allow you to watch the birds enter and leave the water. This beach is very noisy and you can appreciate how these penguins got their more common name.

The penguins used to walk all over the roads and caused a lot of destruction in local gardens. This led to accidents and irritation so the beach was put under the National park status. Fences were erected and proper visitor facilities were erected as the number of tourist was also causing a problem. The penguins will still sometimes shelter under cars so it is wise to check around your vehicle before you drive off.

Foxy beach is also the home to the information centre on the penguins, this is not large but it does offer the opportunity to learn more about the species and about their life in the area. This species of penguin is the only one to be found in Africa and there are several colonies but this one is the largest on the mainland. There are facilities and a gift shop here too.

We have been lucky enough to visit the colony twice. The first visit was at the end of October. This is the time when the penguins are moulting. This lasts about three weeks but the birds look very bedraggled and thin as they are unable to enter the water. Their coats are not waterproof during this time so they all just stand around looking forlorn. The smell from the beach is also rather unpleasant at this time so it is not the ideal time for a visit.

The other visit we made was in February. This time the birds looking healthy and happy. It was possible to observe them entering and leaving the water, they look so awkward on the beach but look streamlined and elegant the moment they enter the sea. It was particularly entertaining to seen the way them seem to "jump" out of the water.

These birds can breed at any time of year but the usual time from the Boulders Beach colony is March to May.

Overall this is certainly an experience that will stay in the memory for a long time. The sheer number of penguins, the close proximity and the amazing noise will leave a lasting impression.

From journal Visiting the Cape Peninsula

Editor Pick

Penguins at Boulders Beach

  • April 20, 2025
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona

Going to Boulders Beach, where a colony of African Penguins live, was definitely the highlight of my time in Cape Town. For the 2 months prior to my trip, I had been researching endangered and vulnerable penguin species for my class research project, so to actually see one of the species I had been reading about was amazing.

The African penguins are listed as vulnerable in the Red List of Threatened Species. The African penguin has colonies along the coasts and nearby islands of South Africa and Namibia, one of the colonies being at Boulders Beach and another one at Robben Island. In the past, this species was threatened by human disturbance and the harvesting of guano for fertilizer and their eggs for food. More recently they have been threatened by oil spills.

At Boulder’s Beach you can walk on a boardwalk through the colony. Along the walkway you can see the penguins nesting in the bush, some with eggs or chicks. The route ends at Foxy Beach, where you can watch the penguins go out on their foraging trips and return. Also, during our visit we watched the adult penguins attempt to keep a chick that did not have its waterproof wings from going into the water. The chick did go in a little before they go it to turn around and dragged it back to the dry beach, but the chick no longer moved, and he was either unconscious or died. It was kind of sad to see, but it was interesting to see how the non-parental adults tried to keep him from going in the water.

A little bit down the coastline is the actual Boulder’s Beach, where you can go swimming. There are some penguins in this area, and if you're lucky (or some may consider it unlucky), you will end up with one swimming near you. Do not get too close to the penguins, though, as they will bite, causing serious injury. One of my classmates had one lunge at her when she was walking down the steps, and was almost bit in the behind.

From journal Cape Town: First World to Third World

Penguins near Cape Town

  • October 19, 2025
  • Rated 5 of 5 by jsdawes from Victoria, British Columbia

It was a surprise to me to find penguins in such a warm climate. But I learned that the water is not very warm, as the influence of the Indian Ocean does not overcome the cold Atlantic Ocean waters until quite a bit farther north up the coast. The penguins are called "Jackass" because they have a braying call.

From journal Cape Province, South Africa - 2000

Penguins & Baboons at Boulder Bay

These cute little "Jack-Ass" African penguins arrived in Boulder Bay, much to the chagrin of the local residents, in the 1980s. It is easy just to park and walk around the beach, snapping pictures of these little creatures. Driving further toward Miller's Point, you will see the Chocma Baboons. These creatures are not so friendly-looking, and indeed, tourists are warned to beware of them, as they can be quite aggressive.

From journal South African Magic

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