This seaside naval town on the Cape Peninsula is home to a colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach and has South Africa's oldest operating lighthouse.
Simon's Town sits along the eastern Cape Peninsula coastline. Walk past the 18th-century Residency building, see African penguins on Boulders Beach, or visit the active South African Navy base. The harbor, established in 1743, started as a Dutch East India Company anchorage and is now a modern naval hub. You might spot stingrays or dolphins near Roman Rock Lighthouse, and local museums display items from 300 years of seafaring history. Swimming here happens alongside penguins in shallow waters protected by granite boulders.
See Penguins at Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach protects a growing group of African penguins first spotted here in 1982. Granite rocks form shallow pools safe for swimming, with wooden walkways letting you watch birds nesting in beachside bushes. February through August brings fluffy chicks—stay at least three meters away to avoid bites. Dogs can only use the upper walkway, and tidal changes sometimes close parts of the beach, so verify access times if bringing lunch. Rangers patrol daily to enforce rules protecting these endangered birds. Entry costs 152 rand for adults.
Naval Museums and Military History
The British Royal Navy began using Simon's Town as a base in 1814, and today's naval operations continue this tradition. At the South African Naval Museum, examine scale ship replicas, sailor uniforms from different eras, and a real submarine periscope you can look through. The Simon's Town Museum occupies the Residency building from 1777, with displays about early Khoisan inhabitants and how apartheid laws displaced local families. Near the harbor, a statue honors Just Nuisance—the only dog ever officially enlisted in the Royal Navy during World War II. Guided base tours sometimes occur but require advance permission.
Historic Buildings and Streets
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, rebuilt after a fire in 1834, holds Anglican services beneath its wooden ceiling decorated with ship dedications. On Church Street, the Die Stem Pastorie house marks where the composer wrote South Africa's former national anthem. A restored 19th-century home on Court Road now operates as a museum showing how Muslim and mixed-race families lived through old photos and kitchen tools. Many British-era buildings on St. George’s Street retain their iron window guards and front porches called stoeps.
Boat Trips and Water Activities
Two-hour whale-watching trips leave from the harbor between June and November, when southern right whales visit False Bay. Year-round tours might show Bryde’s whales hunting fish. Rent kayaks to paddle near penguin groups and through seaweed forests where seals pop up. Advanced divers can investigate the SAS Transvaal wreck, a 95-meter frigate sunk in 2004 that now hosts soft corals and fish. Fishing charters help you catch snoek, a local fish often smoked and sold at docks. The red-and-white Roman Rock Lighthouse, built on a dangerous reef in 1861, appears on most boat routes.
Visiting Simon's Town
Drive 40 minutes from Cape Town along the M4 coastal road or take the train directly to Simon's Town station. Parking near Boulders Beach gets full by mid-morning during December and January—aim to arrive by 9:30 a.m. Most shops here are independent; try cafes selling fried dough koeksisters or sandwiches with smoked snoek spread. Winters mean fewer crowds and cheaper guesthouses, though water stays around 16°C for swimming. Carry coins for parking meters and the craft market on Tuesdays. Follow naval area restrictions marked by signs and fences.
