Kai Reisen: Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach South Africa

Boulders Beach is a sheltered beach made up of small inlets between massive granite boulders, which give the beach its name. It is located on the Cape Peninsula near Simon’s Town, on the way to Cape Point, close to Cape Town in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The area is also commonly called Boulders Bay. This beach is a major tourist attraction because of a colony of African penguins that settled there in 1982 and now number around 3,000 birds. These African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) are found only along the coastlines of southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) and are currently at risk of extinction. Because of this, the colony is protected by Cape Nature Conservation. Despite being surrounded by a residential area, Boulders Beach is one of the few places where visitors can see these vulnerable birds up close, roaming freely in a safeguarded natural habitat. The growth of the colony from just two breeding pairs in 1982 is partly due to reduced commercial pelagic trawling in False Bay, which has boosted populations of pilchards and anchovies—key food sources for the penguins. The landscape here features indigenous coastal vegetation above the high-water mark and the clear waters of False Bay below. The coastline consists of a series of small, sheltered coves framed by granite boulders that are about 540 million years old. While Boulders Beach itself is the most popular spot for recreation and swimming, the best place to view the penguins is Foxy Beach. Newly built boardwalks there allow visitors to get within a few meters of the birds, while keeping both people and penguins safe. Access for swimming is limited to specific areas adjacent to the penguin colony to help protect their habitat. Boulders Beach forms part of Table Mountain National Park.

Recommended airport

Cape Town Intl (CPT)

Nearby destinations

Boulders Beach, South Africa

Boulders Beach South Africa