Recently, after a couple of weeks playing tour guide for my dad and his partner, I spent three days at an Airbnb outside Simonstown. Simonstown (also known as Simon’s Town), about 45 minutes southeast of Cape Town, is best known for its naval base, its beaches, and its beloved colony of African penguins.

One of many beautiful beaches in and around Simonstown.

The beloved penguins, which are so much cuter in person than they are in any photograph.

After 12 days of intense touristing, I didn’t plan to do a lot of touristy stuff during this break. I rented a little garage apartment with a balcony overlooking the ocean, and my plan had been to sit on that balcony, look out at the sea, and little else. I wasn’t even sure I would visit the penguins. (Hahahaha, seriously Heather what were you thinking.) But it will surprise no one that my inner tourist took over. I enjoyed exploring Simonstown and the surrounding areas.

Where I Stayed

The apartment where I stayed, the Whale Tail (this area is a whale-watching destination in winter and spring), is in a residential area called Rocklands, a couple of kilometers outside Simonstown.

The apartment is on the top floor of this garage.

The Whale Tail lounge/dining area.

The bedroom.

My view of False Bay. It was the wrong time of year for whales, but I did spot a pod of dolphins.

The entrance to the unit — the kitchen is at the bottom of the stairs.

The Whale Tail was simple, unpretentious, and ideal for the price I paid: R1250 (about $75) per night. The owners, Karen and Gary, were friendly and welcoming. I loved that the unit had a stereo with a collection of CDs (mostly 80s music, perfect for my Gen-X self). The view was amazing and I caught one of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen.

A sunrise like this deserves its own photo story — watching it was a religious experience.

As the Whale Tail’s Airbnb description states, there is no kitchen sink inside the Whale Tail; the washing-up area is outside and down a set of steep stairs, which makes doing dishes a bit of a chore. (There is a small electric stove and oven upstairs.) So I don’t recommend the Whale Tail for people who struggle with stairs or want to do a lot of cooking. For a solo person who wants a quiet, affordable home base, the Whale Tail is perfect.

I really liked staying in Rocklands. It’s also only 30 minutes’ walk to Boulders Beach, where the penguins are, and less than an hours’ walk to downtown Simonstown and Miller’s Point (more on this below) in the other direction. I had a car but never used it during my visit.

What I Did in Simonstown

1) Rocklands Farm

My first stop was Rocklands Farm, an organic veggie farm practically next door to the Whale Tail. In addition to being a farm with free-range chickens and goats, Rocklands has a lovely outdoor café that serves breakfast and lunch.

Sandwich and salad at Rocklands Farm.

Elaine and Frans, a couple living on the property at Rocklands Farm, offer deep tissue massage and related treatments. I went there for a massage one afternoon — it was wonderful to slow my brain down a bit and just relax.

Elaine and Frans’ house at Rocklands Farm.

2) Miller’s Point Tidal Pool

Karen, my Airbnb host, tipped me off about the tidal pool at Miller’s Point, which is about four kilometers south of the Whale Tail. It had been super hot for the previous week in Cape Town and I really wanted to swim in the ocean, so I committed myself to walk to Miller’s Point on my first morning.

It was cloudy that morning, which made the walk more pleasant.

The baboons in this area are known to be very aggressive. I saw many baboon warning signs but was happy not to meet any actual baboons.

I did meet a few chubby dassies. Despite always looking like they want to challenge you to a duel, dassies are harmless.

Moody views at Miller’s Point. I was the only person there.

The tidal pool. I did swim, which felt great, but I was afraid to try the rickety slide.

3) Boulders Beach

Late in the afternoon on my first full day in Simonstown, the sun came out and the light was perfect. I decided I had to go see the penguins, and I didn’t regret my decision.

Penguins waddling down Boulders Beach.

The last time I saw the penguins on Boulders Beach was in 2011, during my first-ever visit to Cape Town, and I’d forgotten what a nice experience it is. It’s easy to forget that these adorable animals are critically endangered and seeing them in the wild is a tremendous privilege.

It was so sweet seeing the penguins all paired up.

Penguin fornication! Both parties seemed to be truly enjoying themselves.

Tips on seeing the penguins:

• If you’re a South African resident, bring your I.D. or passport showing your residency permit. The local admission (R55, or $3.50) is one-fourth of the international admission.
• Regular admission gives you access to the Boulders Beach boardwalk, where you can see the penguins from a short distance away. But you can also buy a ticket (the cost is the same) to another section of Boulders Beach, where you can sit on the sand and even swim with penguins who choose to come near you. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to visit the beach — it was high tide when I tried to go — but I’ve heard it’s great for swimming.
• Late afternoon, when the light is soft and the penguins’ shadows are long, is a great time to visit Boulders Beach.
• The penguins of Simonstown don’t limit themselves to Boulders Beach — they also like to wander around town and hang out under bushes and cars, etc. Keep an eye out wherever you go.

4) Simonstown Main Street

One day I made the long walk to Simonstown proper. It’s a lovely town, with charming Victorian architecture and lots of cute restaurants and shops.

I didn’t delve deeply into the town’s history or do any activity in particular — just wandered around and had lunch at a decent seafood restaurant called the Lighthouse Café. I browsed the shops and bought a t-shirt at a second-hand store called Blue Cherry Thrift. It was a fun afternoon.

The cutest ladies’ bathroom I’ve ever seen. I wish I’d used it.

Simonstown is worthy of more than the usual 30-minute stop on a Cape Peninsula tour. I loved my mini-holiday there and would definitely go back for a few more sunrises.