Boulders Beach Experience

View while lying on Boulder’s Beach

I don’t often go to Boulders Beach & surrounding areas. Let alone I seldom swim at Boulder’s Beach purely for two major reasons.

1. Unless you hit the beach in the weekday, it is generally crowded with tourists experiencing the amazing scenic beauty that Simonstown has to offer. Whilst those who have absorbed the scenery, spend their time snapping pictures of the African Penguin who exit the beach in their ‘tuxedo suits’ strutting the beach as if they are on a fashion catwalk!
2. If you enjoy floating / wading in knee high water this beach is perfect for you. However if you are more of the adventurous type, favouring snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking & surfing then this is not the beach for you, as many of these activities are banned from the beach because of it being a breeding colony for the African Penguin.

However I decided to take my mom for her first Summer swim of 2016! It was a calm, hot day and I knew this would make the perfect setting for mom to have a splash without getting bowled over by an incoming wave!

We set out & arrived by 10h30 shocked to see there were only a handful of people on the beach, unlike previous experiences where we have been rubbing shoulders with strangers. We took in the beauty that we are so lucky to call Home. Watching the penguins continuing their daily activities & retired yachtsman setting sail in the background. All adding to the ease of slowly getting in to what mom described as “chilly” water yet in the next description she felt as though we could be somewhere in the Mediterranean.

African Penguin couple

Mom was determined and took the plunge quicker than I was able to! Shocking! Given I am the one who swims considerably more than she does, but perhaps I was simply enjoying the new change of scenery as it is completely different (both in landscape & water conditions)  to our usual beach 10 minutes away.

The rock formations are incredible and simply amazing to take in while swimming in & around them. Many display granite exfoliation, where huge layers peel off over time (similar to an onion & its various layers) & its not always easy to be able to see this taking place in nature yet at Boulder’s its a common sight.

Our swim was fabulous & we had a really great morning at Boulder’s Beach. So great we are going there again this week. Hoping to have another great experience.

This beach does have spectacular granite formations and great examples of exfoliation taking place.

Thank you for reading. If you are a visitor to Cape Town, I definitely recommend a visit to Boulders Beach. Aim for early arrival especially during November – February. You can pack a picnic and sit on the beach or have a lunch at the nearby restaurant before taking a dip at the beach. Either way it really is a special stop which I think many locals tend to acknowledge.

Fiona 🙂