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Simon’s Town was not originally part of my Western Cape itinerary. But I normally leave some days open in my trips, ever since I transitioned into slow travel (because serendipities can’t enter if you didn’t make any room for them – and conversely, they nearly always do, when you do). It was into this open slot that Simon’s Town gradually wormed its way into my itinerary, and became the place where I ended my South Africa trip.
I had never heard of Simon’s Town before. I knew nothing about it. But the town drew my attention every time I consulted a map. I noticed it was on the Cape Peninsula, where the Cape of Good Hope is. Then I noticed the naval base, which suggested the possibility of an important naval history. I noticed it again on the tour bus to Boulders Beach, which turned out to be just next door.
I guess, by the time I sat down to decide where to spend my final days in South Africa, it was all but settled. It was going to be Simon’s Town.
This guide is about what I discovered there.
Where is Simon’s Town?
Simon’s Town is a small port town on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula, about 40km south of Cape Town. One of South Africa’s oldest towns, it lies on the False Bay side of the peninsula – which is an important detail.
This location was why the site was chosen as the second port of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the Cape. It was more sheltered from winter storms than Cape Town, and thus became the winter anchorage for the VOC. Thus Simon’s Town became an important supply port of the new global trade route between Europe and Asia.
Its strategic location was also why the British moved to capture it, due to worries about continued free passage through this global trade bottleneck, as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars and changing European alliances.
Due in part to this pivotal history, there is a proposal to submit Simon’s Town for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How to go to Simon’s Town from Cape Town
Although it isn’t that far from Cape Town, as a tourist it isn’t very obvious how to go to Simon’s Town. Despite its size and dispersed population, there isn’t a convenient and obvious local intercity public transport system that you could just hop on in the Western Cape. Or at least, not a bus system that locals recommended I attempt as a non-local.
It is very easy to go to Boulders Beach via a tour, and likewise several popular tourist towns in the Western Cape. But Simon’s Town isn’t on the tourist trail. (After visiting, I understand why it’s not a day trip destination. But as you will see below, that doesn’t mean it isn’t an interesting place to stay in for a few nights.)
Cape Town was my first trip not just to South Africa, but to any African country aside from Morocco. And even in Morocco, I went with my family through a tour agency. So I erred on the prudent side in terms of transport, and wasn’t too adventurous. I simply hired an Uber transfer, and asked the hotel to hire a car for me to go to the airport after.
However, you could go to Simon’s Town by train from Cape Town. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to look for this option. But Simon’s Town does have a train station. And maybe, the train is easier to attempt for a tourist. If I had taken this option, I would arrive at the start of Simon’s Town’s Historic Mile and have to make my way along the road for about 1km to get to the hotel in town.
Visiting Boulders Beach from Simon’s Town
Boulders Beach is a South African National Park, and famous for its colony of endangered African penguins. Visiting it is easy, as it is part of many tour itineraries from Cape Town.
However, visiting Boulders Beach from Simon’s Town has a few perks. For starters, you’re not rushing for time. You could spend the whole day there if you liked. You could take your time looking at the African penguins, and the gift shop is pretty good. Outside, you could spend time browsing the souvenir shops and cafes at both ends of the sanctuary.
Boulders Beach is 1.4km from Simon’s Town, an easy half hour stroll. If you hired a car to come to Simon’s Town, you can also drive to Boulders Beach. But note the many signs reminding you to check underneath your car before driving away. The penguins don’t always stay on the beach. Sometimes they wander out of the sanctuary.
What to do in Simon’s Town (besides the penguins)
But the town itself is interesting, in ways completely unrelated to penguins. So there are actually enough things to do in Simon’s Town, let’s say over a weekend.
1. Walk along the Historic Mile
The Historic Mile of Simon’s Town begins at the train station and ends at the East Dockyards Gate. It is basically the original main street, with all the town’s oldest buildings.
I probably walked almost the whole of it over my time there. But if I had known about it upfront rather that in the middle, I might have done so more intentionally. You can review the virtual walk here.
Here are three points of interest in the centre of town that I think – together – captures its character.
The Wall of Memory
This wall is approximately in the centre of town, and about midway along the Historic Mile. On it are placards marking historical milestones of Simon’s Town. It is a great summary of who the townspeople are, significant things it was part of, and its important tragedies.
The British Hotel
While the entire Victorian main street row is historical, the British Hotel is noteworthy. It has not one, but two historical plaques.
The British Hotel was host to members of five Antarctic Expeditions, including the Ross expedition between 1839 & 1843, and the Scott expeditions – including 1910, when he attempted to reach the South Pole.1
The British Hotel was also briefly the residence of Mary Kingsley, one of the first ‘female solo travellers’, an adventurer, ethnographer, and travel writer. An explorer in West Africa, she was a woman considerably ahead of her time, with complex views on colonialism, race, religion, and evangelism that would not find a mainstream generation for a hundred years.
Sadly, she died of typhoid at a young 37 years in Simon’s Town, while volunteering to nurse Boer POWs. The Royal Navy honoured her request to be buried at sea, giving her a military funeral with full honours.
The Able Seaman Just Nuisance
This is the statue of the Able Seaman Just Nuisance. Yes, I was also perplexed over what this combination of four words could mean. It seemed almost like a person in the navy, but the rank doesn’t end in a name.
Only it does – just not a human name. It was a dog’s.
‘Just Nuisance’ was a Great Dane “enlisted” into the Royal Navy in World War 2 (hence the rank of Able Seaman). He was basically a mascot, boosting morale during the war. When he died, he was buried with full naval honours.
To see this statue, you need to get off the main road into Jubilee Square at the waterfront. It is on the far side.
2. Explore local museums
Simon’s Town has a lot of museums, considering its small size. They basically fall in two categories: ones related to the navy, and ones related to the history of people.
Naval museums in Simon’s Town
Simon’s Town has a long naval history, and is still a navy base. The South African Naval Museum is here2, housed in the old Mast House & Sail Loft building.3
Additionally, there is also a submarine museum and a warrior toy museum.
Heritage museums in Simon’s Town
The most important museum is the Simon’s Town Museum. Housed in the old Residency building, it covers the whole history of Simon’s Town, and the origins for why its (pre-removal) people is so diverse. It also tells the moving story of how the town had united to try and prevent forced removal of some of its people. I wrote about it at greater length in a previous travel story.
In addition, the Heritage Museum in Amlay House focuses on Cape Malay history in Simon’s Town.
3. Go on marine wildlife tours
Simon’s Town is an anchorage within False Bay. The bay is known for its marine wildlife, although its abundance has greatly declined since the advent of industrial fishing. Notably, you can find the ‘Marine Big 5’ here4, as well as kelp forests. In fact, False Bay is a Mission Blue Hope Spot, which are “critical places in the ocean—vital to biodiversity, resilience, and life on Earth—championed by local leaders and grounded in science”.
You can go on whale watching cruises, great white shark cage diving, and other wildlife tours from the Boardwalk Centre. Simon’s Town Boat Company was recommended to me for licensed marine mammal tours. They also contribute to scientific research and adhere to a code of conduct for responsible whale watching.
You can also join tours that specifically help marine research with Cape RADD. Help their scientists look for sharks by snorkel or SCUBA, or join a boat safari to collect data on the Marine Big 5.
4. Hike around Simon’s Town
Want to do something outdoorsy, but not up to going to sea? There are also a number of hikes you can do in Simon’s Town. The Scenic Walk is within the town itself, whereas the other walks can be grouped into coastal walks and ones that hike up towards a vantage of some kind.
Note that there are resident baboons in Simon’s Town. And I mean, they actually have a degree of accommodation for them here. There are specific road signages and pennants warning incoming traffic of the baboons, and there was even a crossing guard specifically for them.
I didn’t encounter any on the Willis Walk, but in theory you might encounter them on the inland walks. I’m not sure if they are as mischievous as macaques in my region, but I wasn’t warned of it in the context of hikes. For more about the baboons and the local attitude towards them, see my previous article.
Scenic Walk
This walk keeps you within town, so it is ideal if you don’t want to venture far. It is scenic because the way goes up the Kloof slopes, so you will get a view of the sea from its upper parts.
The walk takes you exploring the historic lanes. Significant buildings and points of interest have plaques to tell you its history or what was once there. These include the original tavern, as well as the childhood home of the imam who translated the Qur’an into Afrikaans.
Coastal walks
The Willis Walk is basically the same as the Boulders Beach penguin viewing path. So if you’re visiting the African penguin sanctuary, you’ll walk this path. Keep an eye out for a placard at the south end of the walk that explains who the walk is named after.
Burgher’s Walk begins on the other end of the car park, where Willis Walk ends. It follows the rocky shoreline to Windmill Beach.
Other hikes
Other hiking trails go up to high ground. I didn’t do these because of the depressing spring weather. And besides, between the coast and the high ground, the coast will win out for me. However, if you’re the type who must conquer a high ground, there are three to choose from.
A trail on the west side of town (the same side as the Simon’s Town Museum and the South African Naval Museum) takes you to Admiral’s waterfall. The trail starts at the end of Barnard Street. The photos look gorgeous, and it seems the baboons kinda live here.
Near the waterfall trail is also the start of the steps to the South African Navy Signal School. This trail takes you south up the hill to the grave of the local canine hero, the Able Seaman Just Nuisance.
On the eastern side of town, you can also hike up to Buurman reservoir. This reservoir is at the end of Dorian Place. The start of the road is near the multi-denominational Seaforth cemetery, where there is a kramat dedicated to Imam Abdul Karim, and a memorial to Boer POWs of the Anglo-Boer War.
5. Have a beach day
Finally, Simon’s Town is a seaside town. You could also just enjoy a day at the beach! From Long Beach near the train station to the smaller beaches on either side of Boulders Beach, it seems there are several options.
Points of interest in the Cape Peninsula
Another advantage of staying in Simon’s Town (or another town on the peninsula) is that you could explore the Cape Peninsula at your own pace. With one caveat: you’ll need a car.
The entire Cape Peninsula comes within Table Mountain National Park, and within the Cape Flora Region UNESCO World Heritage Site. While there are many tours from Cape Town to the Cape Peninsula, these typically focus on specific destinations like Cape Point and Boulders Beach. Whereas with a car, you could drive around and roam all across the National Park. There are self-catering overnight huts and accommodations which suggests this is how you’re meant to do it.
However, if you would rather not self-drive, there are custom private tours you can book from Simon’s Town. You can explore by tuktuk with the fabulously named Hakuna Matuktuk, or by car with Cape to Point.
In terms of standard tours, here are examples of tour types that come close to a self-drive exploration of the Cape Peninsula.
While you can explore it however you like, there are two points of interest in the Cape Peninsula that I would have done, if I had a car.
1. Cape Point lighthouse
It is easy to visit Cape Point from Cape Town. There are many, many tours that include it in the itinerary. In fact, it was how I visited it myself.
However, going there as part of a standard tour necessarily means being time-limited. I had enough time for lunch at Two Oceans Restaurant at the Cape Point visitor complex, and then join the hike to Cape of Good Hope. But I couldn’t also have gone up the Flying Dutchman funicular to the old lighthouse.
On the other hand, if you came with a car from Simon’s Town, you’ll not only shorten the journey time by an hour, you’ll also have the freedom to spend as much time as you like, including going down to the beaches from the cliff hike. Additionally, you can also make detours to stop at the Vasco de Gama & Bartolomeu Diaz monuments near Buffels Bay.
2. Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre
Also near Buffels Bay, the Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre hosts the acclaimed Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition. This exhibition showcases the archaeological discoveries at three sites – Blombos Cave, Klipdrift Shelter and Klasies River – occupied by early Homo sapiens between 120 000 and 50 000 years ago.
Where to stay in Simon’s Town
Simon’s Town has a good selection of accommodations. However, due to its unresolved evictions history, there may be special considerations for a sustainable traveller, as I covered in my previous story.
During my trip, I stayed at Central Hotel Guest House. This hotel is one of those located right in the centre of town, and part of the heritage Victorian main street row of buildings. Staying here puts you close to everything you need, as well as most of the local attractions, which is ideal if you plan on walking most of the time.
For those who are looking for even more luxury, or a room with a view, three were recommended to me in the Simon’s Town Museum, suitable for travellers with a sustainability priority.
The Grosvenor Guest House offers both B&B rooms as well as a self-catering villa. The villa option may appeal to families or others travelling in a group. They’re also supportive of a number of local initiatives. This B&B is located partway up the kloof on the eastern side of town.
Mariner Guesthouse & Villa is nearby and also offers both B&B and self-catering options, plus catered meals (with advance notice). They also have family room options. The Mariner is solar-powered, among a number of other environmentally-friendly practices, and is supportive of local initiatives.
The third option is in Froggy Farm, which is outside of Simon’s Town and beyond Boulders Beach. Residence William French is a full service B&B with self-catering options, but it also has an onsite restaurant.
Where to eat in Simon’s Town
Considering its size, Simon’s Town has a decent selection of restaurants. So I will only highlight those establishments which were recommended to me as original Simonite businesses. (Note: this is not a review of the restaurants or the food.) Additionally, I will add options I discovered, specifically for Muslim travellers.
1. Seafood options
Being a seaside town, Simon’s Town has a number of seafood restaurants. Of these, Cafe Pescado located right in the centre of town offers simple comfort food like pizza and burgers along with the seafood. Across the road near the pier, the Salty Sea Dog is a traditional fish & chips place.
2. Dessert cafe
Of the local dessert and pastry places, The Sweetest Thing Patisserie is an original Simonite business. It also has a cafe menu.
3. Halal food
Simon’s Town has two halal restaurants, which I only discovered at the end of my time there, to my annoyance. Spice Etc is a Cape Malay restaurant, but also offers takeaway microwaveable meals – which may be useful for those staying in self-catering accommodations. Some of the menu items may even be vegan.
Vanakkam is a Durban (Cape Indian) restaurant that only uses halal meat. Additionally, its menu does not have pork or beef.
Although not a halal restaurant, Minari Korean Kitchen in the Boardwalk Centre offers halal chicken on the menu, which they cook on a separate griddle from the non-halal menu.
And finally, you can also get halal light meals and snacks at What’s Your Flava convenience store. This shop is located at the edge of town, near the train station and next to the community kitchen.
Local stores in Simon’s Town
The main street has a selection of shopping and souvenir stores. As above, I’m only highlighting original Simonite businesses here. These are for information, not recommendations.
Pharmacy: Simon’s Town Pharmacy is the only one in town, and conveniently central.
Souvenirs: Craftart Emporium is near the end of the main street and sells general souvenirs and crafts. That said, if you’re looking for penguin-themed souvenirs, obviously the Boulders Beach area is better.
Holiday apparel: Kalidas Clothing Footwear & Swimwear should have you covered, whether in summer or winter, for last minute beachwear, shoes, or outerwear.
General store: Central Supply Store is a general supply store, and more conveniently located in the centre of town compared to What’s Your Flava mentioned above.
Footnotes:
- I actually randomly learned this at some point as a child, though I don’t remember how. For all I know, it was from reading the back of a cereal box. Captain Scott’s team did reach the South Pole on this expedition. But he was not the first; Roald Amundsen beat him to it. He and his team did not make it back (I think this part was not on the back of the cereal box). ↩︎
- The Naval Museum is near the South African Navy Diving School, well-known for training highly skilled divers. SAN divers are in high demand for commercial diving, and said to be Simon’s Town’s biggest ‘export’. There is a statue honouring the SA Navy Standby Diver at the end of Simon’s Town pier. ↩︎
- These were built by Sir Jahleel Brenton, a Royal Navy admiral born on Rhode Island. I was curious about him because of his apparently Arabic name, which was also his father’s name. But I could find no other information on his ancestry or biography to explain it. Jahleel took a particular interest in the “recaptured slaves” from slaver ships intercepted by the Royal Navy, who were indentured into the navy. He made sure that they had land in Simon’s Town to build homes on after the end of their indenture.i
i Joline Young. 2023. An Uncomfortable Paradise: A History of Dispossession and Slavery in Simon’s Town. Nagspro Multi-Media.
↩︎ - These refer to the southern right whale, bottlenose dolphin, African penguin, Cape fur seal and great white shark. Note that False Bay has more megafauna and iconic fish species than these, including the humpback whale, Bryde’s whale, and sunfish. ↩︎
Carbon offset information to Cape Town, South Africa
A return flight between Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town via Dubai produces carbon emissions of approximately 5,987 lbs CO2e. It costs about $48 to offset this.
Would you add Simon’s Town to your Cape Town itinerary?
Simon’s Town’s history and museums, combined with its coastal walks and hikes, make this a great addition for our future South Africa trip.
I think it deserves a spot on the itinerary, at least for a Western Cape trip
Very illuminating. Thanks for the guide.
You’re welcome!