Penguins in the Cape Peninsula

Cape Point really does feel like the end of the earth. Tall, rugged rocks and cliffs plunge down in to the crashing sea, deep in to the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Point is the most southern section of the Cape Peninsula but is not to be confused with the most southerly part of Africa (that is Cape Agulhas), and it is situated around a 1hr 30 minute drive from Cape Town city centre. If you’re looking for things to do in Cape Town centre, you can check out my blog post here.

Most people choose to visit either on the tourist bus (The Cape Point Explorer) which takes you via Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, Boulder’s Beach and on to Cape Point. We chose to do a full day tour with a private tour company so that we could see not just Cape Point but also a few of the bays on the way on a scenic coastal route. Of course the main reason I wanted to do this trip is the penguins, and they really are the best.

There are a lot of companies that run these private tours – some reputable ones include Cape Point Route and Rhino Africa Safaris. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Day Trippers do part of the route hiking and cycling so you spend more time outdoors then in a car.

We chose a tour which took us to three locations around the Cape Peninsula. All were beautifully stunning.

1. Hout Bay

The first stop on the journey from Cape Town, around 30 minutes out, is Hout Bay is a beautiful beach area with nice restaurants (mainly sea food) and lovely local shops. It’s also home to a market, a large bird park and is a hub for peninsula boat tours. You can even do trips out to visit the many seals in and around the bay.

The cliff views are stunning and definitely worth the visit. You might even spot a friendly ostrich or two!

2. Boulder’s Beach

Penguins. Penguins. Penguins. The best penguins ever. One of the only places in the world you can get close to African penguins, this beach has to be the highlight of the day. They. are. the. best. You can also swim here if the sea is warm enough and the beach itself is beautiful with lots of little rock pools. But stuff the swimming, look at the penguins….!

3. Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point

The Cape of Good hope is another picturesque bay, to the West of the Cape Point. Around the area are lots of beautiful walks, including down to Dias beach or to walk the Cape Peninsula wooden walkway all the way to the Funicular which then takes you on to Cape Point. This walk takes about an hour and is definitely worth it if you have the time.

At Cape Point, there is a lighthouse, and it’s a beautiful location to ponder life, looking out to the ocean – preferably timed for sunset for spectacular views of the Atlantic.