Simon's Town

Simon’s Town is a naval town strung along one main road between mountain and sea on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, about an hour from Cape Town. The Royal Navy ran the dockyard for well over a century before the Simonstown Agreement handed it to South Africa in 1957, and the South African Navy is still based here. Most visitors come for the African penguins at Boulders Beach, then discover a Victorian high street, a submarine you can walk through and a dog with a naval rank.

Getting there

By car, follow the M4 (Main Road) south along the False Bay coast through Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek. Simon’s Town is the last stop on Metrorail’s Southern Line from Cape Town, a journey of just over an hour that runs right along the water. The service is scenic but unreliable, and travellers who use it advise first class, daylight and no valuables on show. Boulders is about 2 km south of the station, a walk through town. The town itself is walkable end to end in under 30 minutes.

When to go

The penguins are there all year. Boulders opens longest in peak season (07:00 to 19:30), shorter in winter. Southern right whales come into False Bay in winter and spring, though sources differ on exactly which months, and a boat trip for the Marine Big 5 is the way to see them. Summer weekends are busiest at the penguins.

What to do

Boulders Beach has had a colony of African penguins since 1982, one of only three mainland colonies in southern Africa. Boardwalks lead to viewing platforms above Foxy Beach, where the birds nest in the bush and waddle across the sand; take the southernmost path for a chance of a penguin on the beach beside you. Next door, Seaforth Beach has free penguin viewing in smaller numbers and sheltered swimming. Sea kayak trips paddle along the coast to the colony.

The South African Naval Museum is free and opens 09:30 to 15:30. The SAS Assegaai submarine museum runs guided tours through a Cold War boat. The Simon’s Town Museum, founded in 1977, covers two centuries of naval life. In Jubilee Square stands the bronze of Just Nuisance, a Great Dane and the only dog ever officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, erected in 1985; his grave is on the hill above town.

Good to know

Simon’s Town is considered relatively safe compared with much of greater Cape Town, but there have been violent incidents on the trails towards Red Hill and Kleinplaas Dam, so do not hike there alone. Watch for ATM scams. Baboon troops live on the slopes and come into gardens and onto the road; do not feed them and keep food out of sight. Boulders is part of Table Mountain National Park and charges a conservation fee at the gate. From here it is a straight run south to Cape Point.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, South African Tourism, JetSetting Fools, Simonstown.com.