This picturesque area, with huge rocks dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of around 3,000 cheerful African penguins. A boardwalk runs from the Boulders Visitor Center at the Foxy Beach end of the reserve – part of Table Mountain National Park – to Boulders Beach, where you can walk down the sand and mingle with the penguins. However, don’t be tempted to pet them: they have sharp beaks that can cause serious injuries.
The bulk of the colony, which has grown from just two breeding pairs in 1982, seems to prefer hanging out on Foxy Beach, where they look like numb, stunted supermodels to armies of camera-toting tourists. Ignore those who come to the viewing platform. . (The beach itself is restricted to visitors.)
The waterfowl, an endangered species, were previously called jackass penguins because of their donkey-like wagging – if you’re there during the main breeding season, which peaks from March to May, So you will get a chance to hear it. Parking is available at either end of the booking, on Seaforth Rd and Bellevue Rd, where you’ll also find accommodation and dining options. Boulders is about 3 km southeast of Simonstown.