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Boulders Beach penguin colony

Boulders Beach penguin colony

Place · Table Mountain lower cableway station

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0
Boulders BeachTable Mountain lower cableway station, Cape Towngo at hour · morning or late afternoonadmission: unknown

A boardwalk beach at Simon's Town with a breeding colony of African penguins: go early or late for fewer people, and pair it with Cape Point on the same peninsula drive.

Time on site60–90 minp95 120 min
Pricecheckadult, 2026 estimate
Best hourmorning or late afternoonquietest window
28″ bagsNo ProblemTable Mountain lower cableway station
Sensory loadCalm2 of 5 · Calm
  • African penguin colony
  • Flat boardwalk, step-free
  • Swimming allowed at the second beach
  • Go morning or late afternoon

Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.

Rules in force · 10Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…After dark, use ride-hailing or a hotel car between areas
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
  • Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
  • South Africa ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport with the Department of Home Affairs or a South African mission before booking; exemptions depend on nationality, and the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is optional for most visa-exempt visitors in 2026.
  • South Africa ↗Travelling with children: accompanied foreign children no longer need a birth certificate, but unaccompanied minors, South African children and some passports that omit parents' names still do; check with Home Affairs and your airline before you fly.
  • South Africa ↗Driving is on the left. If your licence is not in English or has no photo, get an International Driving Permit before you travel; rental companies also check it.
  • South Africa ↗National park gates open and close at fixed times; you must be inside your camp before the gate closes, and speed limits in parks are enforced.
  • Cape Town ↗After dark, use ride-hailing or a hotel car between areas; do not walk between the City Bowl, Bo-Kaap and the Waterfront.
  • Cape Town ↗The Table Mountain cableway stops in strong wind: keep a spare morning and check the operator's status page before you go.
Usually 08:00–17:00
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Map & directions
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Directions
From where I am

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Plan

Open now, best time to go, opening hours

Go now?

hours and prices: check on the day
Open
Usually 08:00–17:00
Crowds

Quietest around 08:00 · go morning or late afternoon

Quietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat · desk estimate

Tickets
  • Adult: check (2026 estimate: a moderate rand entry fee)
  • Child: reduced rate (check)
Time to spend
60–90 min · up to 120 min if you linger
Directions Add to a day →

Best time to go

  1. 08:00, quiet
  2. 09:00, calm
  3. 10:00, moderate
  4. 11:00, busy
  5. 12:00, busy
  6. 13:00, busy
  7. 14:00, moderate
  8. 15:00, moderate
  9. 16:00, calm
Quietest around 08:00 Busiest 11:00 to 13:00Estimate for an ordinary weekday. Taller bar = busier.

Tour groups arrive mid-morning to mid-afternoon; the boardwalk is quiet at opening.

By weekday: quietest Mon–Thu, busiest Sat.

Opening hours
Hours
08:00–17:00 (typical, check)
Note
Gate hours change by season; not printed until verified.
Hours note
Gate hours shift with the season; check the official site for your date.

Which month is quietest

desk estimate · not counted
  1. Janbusy
  2. Febbusy
  3. Marbusy
  4. Aprlight
  5. Maylight
  6. Junlight
  7. Jullight
  8. Auglight
  9. Sepbusy
  10. Octbusy
  11. Novheavy
  12. Decpacked

Quietest Apr–Aug · busiest Dec.

Estimate: desk reasoning from tour-bus, weekend and holiday-season patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.

Weather here, next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).

On the ground

Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work

Getting in

Stop
Self-drive or a tour vehicle to the Boulders Beach entrance, Simon's Town
Ticket
on site · official site
Stairs
Boardwalk is flat and step-free; the beach itself is sand and boulders
Shoes
Sandals fine on the boardwalk; closed shoes if walking down onto the beach.

Accessibility

  • Check firstAccessible toilet

Sensory load

  • Sensory load2/5 Low
  • Peak crowd4/5 High

Exposure: medium

What to bring and the rules

  • Footwear that suits the rule · Sandals fine on the boardwalk; closed shoes if walking down onto the beach.

Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.

Bailouts

  • crowd: Foxy Beach viewing platform (usually quieter than the main boardwalk)

Nearest rescue anchor: A — Boulders Beach entrance kiosk (field-verify)

Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).

Map and nearby

Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it

Boulders Beach penguin colonyBoulders Beach penguin colo…Cape Point and Cape of Good HopeKirstenbosch National Botanical GardenHussar Grill (City Bowl)Oranjezicht City Farm MarketHarbour House (V&A Waterfront)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Map layers
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Directions
From where I am

Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.

Nearby places

Eat nearby

More detail

Everything else we know about this place

Tickets, prices and entry

Know before you go

  • Boulders is a paid section of Table Mountain National Park inside the town of Simon's Town, about 40–50 minutes' drive from the City Bowl.
  • There are two main viewing points: Foxy Beach (boardwalk only, no swimming near the colony) and the second beach area where swimming among the boulders and penguins is allowed under the rules posted on site.
  • The colony is wild and free-roaming: penguins can appear on the road and car park in Simon's Town too.
  • Bring reef-safe or no sunscreen near the water and pack out all litter; this is a working seabird colony.

Best time of day

Go morning or late afternoon. Plan 60–90 min inside.

quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate; tour buses cluster late morning

Tickets & entry

2026 estimate · check the posted board
Where to buy
  • Buy at the entrance on the day.
  • Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
  • Adult: Entrance gate, card or cash
  • Child: Same gate
  • Entry covers both the Foxy Beach boardwalk and the second-beach swimming area on the same ticket (check current layout).

Official site ↗

TicketPriceWhere to buySkip-the-line reality
Adultcheck (2026 estimate: a moderate rand entry fee)Entrance gate, card or cash—
Childreduced rate (check)Same gate—
Time on site, inside and your plan

Time on site

minutes

Minimum

45min

Worthwhile

60min

Typical

90min

p95

120min

How much time do you have?

from the time-on-site figures above

Enough for a typical visit (90 min).

Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.

Inside, in order

  1. Foxy Beach boardwalk

    20 min

    Raised boardwalk directly over the main colony; flat and step-free.

  2. Second beach (swimming area)

    30 min

    Sheltered boulder-strewn cove where swimming alongside penguins is permitted under posted rules.

    optional

  3. Simon's Town waterfront

    20 min

    A short walk or drive from the beach; cafés and the naval harbour.

    optional

Plan this visit

saved in this browser only
Time inside
Crowd on arrival
quiet
Worst while inside
light
Leave by
09:30
Closing buffer
450′

Good window: go.

  • Closing buffer is measured against a planning close of 17:00. Gate hours are shorter in winter; check before you go.
  • Crowd levels are a desk estimate by hour, not live data.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities

Step-free check

  • Accessible toilet: check · check

Step-free route

  1. 1The Foxy Beach boardwalk is flat, raised timber decking and is step-free from the entrance.
  2. 2The second beach involves sand and boulders and is not step-free.

Facilities on site

WhatStatusWhere / note
ToiletsyesNear the main entrance.
Accessible toiletcheck—
Café or shopyesSmall kiosk at the entrance; more options in Simon's Town, a short drive away.
Changing facilitiescheckFor visitors swimming at the second beach.
Drinking wateryes—

Seasons, festivals and night openings

WhenWhat happensEffect on your visitDates
Nov–JanChick seasonMore activity around nests near the boardwalk; keep extra distance.
Dec–JanPeak seasonHeaviest crowds on the boardwalk; go at opening or after 16:00.

“Check” rows move every year; confirm dates on the official calendar before you plan around them.

Who it suits

TravelerFitWhy
Families with childrengoodA short, flat boardwalk with a guaranteed wildlife sighting.
PhotographersgoodClose, reliable views of African penguins in a natural setting.
SwimmersgoodThe second beach is sheltered and swimmable when conditions allow.

Skip it if

  • You are short on time and must choose one peninsula stop — Cape Point is the bigger single sight.
Combine with

Combine with

nearest first
  1. —Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope — On the same peninsula road; most visitors combine the two in one half or full day.

Walk the Table Mountain lower cableway station area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes

Best photo time

Best photo time today

Sun times for today load in your browser.

SpotWhenRule on the spot
Foxy Beach boardwalkMorning, soft lightNo flash near the birds; keep to the boardwalk.
Second beach with Table Mountain National Park cliffs behindAny clear time—

Deep dive

Questions, photos, and where our facts come from

Questions and answers

Questions and answers

answered by Voykit editors · dated
Are the penguins wild?

Yes, this is a wild, free-roaming breeding colony, not an enclosure.

Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk

Can I swim with the penguins?

Swimming is permitted at the second beach area under the rules posted on site; keep distance from the birds and do not touch them.

How long do I need?

45–60 minutes for the boardwalk alone; add 30–45 minutes if you swim at the second beach.

Is it step-free?

The Foxy Beach boardwalk is flat and step-free; the second beach is sand and boulders.

Do I need to book ahead?

Not normally; it can be busy with tour groups mid-morning to mid-afternoon, so go early or late for fewer people.

Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.
Photos

Photos

1 · free licences, credited
Deep dive

Sources

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Directions
79 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Not saved offline