BOULDERS BEACH
CAPE PENINSULA
If a visit to wonderful Cape Town wasn’t enough, you also get a chance to see the city’s famous colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula.
The birds first settled here in 1982, and the colony has since grown to several thousand. Specially designed wooden boardwalks protect their nesting areas, and nature lovers can watch and take pictures from an elevated position as the penguins waddle across the sand, swim in the shallow water and look after their chicks among the bushes and rocks.
African penguins are endangered by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and oil spills, but conservation efforts at Boulders Beach help to provide a safe breeding environment and raise awareness about protecting marine ecosystems.
Located an hour’s drive from Cape Town (you can also do the journey by train, though it takes a little longer), the beach forms part of the protected Table Mountain National Park. Its striking 500 million-year-old granite rocks shelter the beach from strong winds and waves, creating calm swimming conditions and a unique natural setting – so if time allows, take your swimming gear with you and enjoy a dip in the clear turquoise water.
WORDS VICKY MAYER
You can visit Boulders Beach on an MSC 10-night Cape Town stay, Big 5 Safari & Namibia cruise aboard MSC Armonia , departing 17 March 2027, from £2,079. Other lines visiting South Africa include Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Azamara
+Turn to page 24 for more thrilling destinations
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