SIMON’S TOWN

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1Goseethepenguins LiketheEiffel TowerinParisorthe ColosseuminRome,the Africanpenguincolony at BouldersBeachisamust-see attractionwhen you’re inSimon’sTown.

Thefirsttwo breedingpairsarrived in theearly1980s, andnow thereare asmanyas3000ofthem waddlingbetweenthetowelsonthe beach. (Thepenguins recentlybecameinternational superstars, thanksto theNetflixseries Penguin Town.) Thereare only twomainland African penguin coloniesinthe country–theotheroneis at StonyPointin Betty’sBay.

Thetwo beaches closest to the colonyfallwithintheambitof Table MountainNational Park –youhave to paya conservation feetogodown to thewater. BouldersBeachisfantasticforswimmingand Foxy Beach hasboardwalksand adeckfromwhereyoucan watchthepenguins.

Seaforth Beach and Water’sEdgearecloseby–they’re free to visit and youmightalso seeapenguinortwo. Where? Theentrancenearest to Boulders BeachisinBellevueRoad.The entrance in SeaforthRoad alsohas avisitors’centre. Cost: R42peradult;R21per child;freewith aWildcard. Besttime to visit? Thepenguinsareresident throughoutthe year.They spend alotoftimeon thebeachbetween Marchand May; in September theyspendmore timeinthe water, huntingallday to buildupfat reservesbefore theystart to moult.

2Get to know the navy The breakwater of the biggest navy base in the country dominates this stretch of coastline; four frigates are at anchor during the time of my visit. The pavements in town are decorated with naval heraldry from ships like the SAS Drakensberg, SAS Walvisbaai and SAS Chapman.

Unfortunately, you can’t just waltz into a naval base and climb aboard a war ship, but you can visit the SA Navy Museum. When I walk in, I can hear the characteristic “left, right, left!” of sailors being put through their paces.

The exhibitions detailing some of the biggest tragedies in naval history stand out, like the SAS President Kruger, which collided with the SAS Tafelberg and sank, killing 16 of the crew on board. A piece of the President Kruger became stuck in the hull of the Tafelberg, and this twisted piece of metal now rests at the front door of the museum.

The bottom storey has a gunnery and missile section, with missile launchers, torpedoes and anti-aircraft guns. You can play around in a replica of a submarine, and there’s a helicopter you can see up close.

The adjacent building is a more modern space, with portraits of the chiefs of the SA Navy. An audio tour will tell you more about the navy’s recent history and how it has changed over the last three decades. Entrance fee: Free. Opening times: Daily from 9 am to 3.30 pm. Contact: 021 787 4686; sanavymuseum.co.za Another museum… If you want to know more about the history of the area, visit the Simon’s Town Museum. 021 786 3046 3Walk through the town’s past Park your vehicle and walk to the bronze statue of Just Nuisance in Jubilee Square (pictured, top left), which has been guarding over the waterfront for 30 years. In the 1940s, the dog it commemorates crawled into the hearts of Simon’s Town’s sailors. He loved to lie on the gangplanks of ships and often got in the way, earning him his nickname, Nuisance.

Nuisance would ride the train to Cape Town, which irritated railway officials. They lobbied to have him put down, but the sailors convinced their superiors to give Nuisance an official military rank, which not only saved his life but also meant he could travel for free! You need a name and a surname to work for the navy, so he was named Just Nuisance and was later promoted from ordinary seaman to able seaman so he could receive rations.

Learn more about this story – and others – on foot by visiting attractions like The Standby Diver statue (pictured, above) on the quay, the plaque commemorating the SS Mendi tragedy (the biggest naval disaster in war time in South African history), and the Seaforth Cemetery (pictured, top right; 1813 – 1910) in Runciman Drive.

If you’re not put off by steep hills, climb the Signal School Steps up Simonsberg behind town. The footpath goes up to the grave of Just Nuisance, where you get a sprawling view of town. From Barnard Street, it’s about an hour’s walk to the grave. More history: There are more than 60 national monuments in town. Most are close to Jubilee Square. There’s a map with some of the attractions in St George’s Street next to Die Hangkas shop.

4Shop till you drop “Are you here to make an offer?” says Percy van Zyl when I walk into the Warrior Toy Museum (pictured, right).

“For the shop or a toy?” I reply.

“Whatever you want!”

Percy started the museum when he retired 30 years ago. You won’t find a PlayStation here… The museum houses a collection of more than 4 000 toy cars, as well as dolls, board games, toy soldiers and a 4 m-long train that runs on a track past miniature villages and a mine.

A father and son are the only other people in the museum. They come here often. “My son doesn’t call it a museum; to him it’s just Percy’s,” the dad says.

Although he’s retired, Percy likes to share his collection with people. “I would rather be here helping than sitting at home alone.” Entrance fee: R10 per person. Some of the toys are for sale. Contact: 021 7861395 What else? At Maximalist ( 083 285 8336) you can buy antique furniture; Craftart Emporium ( 021 786 1997) has shelves full of knick-knacks like candles and teacups; Die Hangkas (pictured, right; 063 648 8531) has interesting succulents and crochet dolls; for leather products, visit Afreek ( 071 700 5087) – their aprons are very popular – and at Tari Designs (pictured, far right; 078 675 3585) you can pick a pattern for a dress or backpack and they will make it for you using shweshwe fabric.

All the shops are within 500 m of each other in St George’s Street.

5Play on the water “The wind does have some benefits,” says Derek Goldman from Kayak Cape Town when the weather prevents us from going out on the water for the third consecutive day. “If the wind didn’t blow all the time, Simon’s Town would be as packed as Clifton.”

Finally, the wind dies down and we can go out. We paddle past the SAS Spioenkop frigate towards Boulders Beach, where penguins bob on the water. Some of the birds are curious and come over to investigate the kayaks.

We turn around at Boulders. If weather and time allow, you can swim here before you paddle back to the waterfront. Where? Wharf Street, in front of Bertha’s Restaurant. Cost: R350 per adult, R300 per child under 17. Opening times: Daily from 8.30 am. The outing takes about two hours. Contact: 065 707 4444; kayakcapetown.co.za What else? If you prefer cycling to paddling, hire a water bike, which is like a mini catamaran that you sit on and “pedal”. Cape Town Water Bikes offers hourlong tours for R490 per person. 083 777 1048; capetownwaterbikes.co.za

DRIVE ABACKROAD

Themainroadthrough townisoften overrunwith touristsor gridlocked inthelate afternoonwhenthenavalofficersreturnhome.

Sidestepthetraffic andturnonto RuncimanDrive, paralleltothemain road.There arebenchesnext to theroad withviewsofthe navalbase.

Or turninto Dido ValleyRoadattheHarbourBay shoppingcentre outside Simon’sTown.Drive1,5 km and turnleftontoScalaRoad.This cementtrackwindsup thehillpastthreebatteries–big canonsused duringthe twoworld wars to ward offenemyships in FalseBay.

Pull over at theScalaBattery to seea canonup close, and to enjoy oneofthebestviewsofthe bay. Turn left whereScalaRoadmeets Red HillRoad. After3 km you’llbebackinSimon’s Town.

THESALTY SEADOG

SEAFORTHRESTAURANT THESWEETEST THING PATISSERIE THEWATERFRONT

EATHERE AT THE WATERFRONT If youwanttolook outoverthebay, go to Bertha’s( 021 7862138; berthas.co.za)or Saveur( 0217861919; saveur.co.za).Saveurhas a25%discount on seafoodevery Thursday.

Opposite Saveuristhefish-and-chips restaurant TheSalty SeaDog ( 021 7861918) whereIhadthebest slaptjips I’ve hadin alongtime (R48for abig portion).

Fran’s PlaceontheothersideoftheJustNuisancestatue offers heartyportions at affordableprices( 0217869430).

IN THEMAINROAD AlmosteverysecondplaceinStGeorge’sStreet(theM4) is arestaurant. Order a pizza at Café Pescado ( 0217862272; pescados.co.za)–“JustNuisance” with boereworsandmonkeyglandsaucecostsR98–orhave alightlunch at thestylish LighthouseCafé( 0217869000; thelighthousecafe.co.za). Forbakedgoods or apie,gotoThe SweetestThing Patisserie( 021 7864200) –thelamb-and-rosemarypie forR60 wasdelicious.

IF YOUHAVEASWEETTOOTH If you’re cravingsomethingsweet,visit ILoveWaffles( 021 7869361; ilovewaffles.co.za)next to Jubilee Square. TheirNutellaandbrownie waffle (R84)is decadent.

Andwhat’s aseasideholiday withouticecream? Kand D’s( 083 2541514)in St George’s Streetsellsgelato andsorbet, with veganand sugar-freeoptions(fromR30).

FOR PENGUINENTHUSIASTS Sitonthe deck at SeaforthRestaurant( 0217864810; seaforthrestaurant.co.za)ifyou wantto eatcalamari(R125) with aviewofthepenguins.

STAY HERE

FalseBayLodge

Thisself-catering,double-storey houseistucked away from the hustleandbustleinthesuburbof Froggy Farmjustsouthoftown. It hastwo ensuite bedrooms(sleeps fourpeople), abigliving area,a swimmingpool anda stoepwith aviewof FalseBay. Rate: R1300pernight. 0828596701; angelavl@tiscali.co.za

Penguins View Guesthouse

This guesthouseiswithin walking distance of Boulders Beach. There arethree twin-sleeperapartments, eachwith asmallkitchen,stoep andbraai. Theself-catering cottage sleeps fourpeople.There’s also acommunalswimmingpool. Rates: ApartmentfromR1300 per night; cottagefromR1950 per night. 0723734277; penguinsview.co.za

BouldersBeachHotel

Youcan’t sleepanyclosertothe penguins.Thehotelisnexttothe BouldersBeachparkingarea–look forthe biginflatablepenguin outfront.

Thereare 10 ensuitedouble rooms, oneensuiteroom that sleepsthreepeople,and twoselfcateringunitsthatsleepfive(three adultsand twochildren).Thereis also arestaurant. Rates: Doublerooms from R750 per night;self-cateringunitfrom R1700pernight; ensuiteroom R1800pernight(theonly room withbreakfastincluded). 0711010151; bouldersbeach.co.za

RocklandsB&B

Thisguesthouseison theedgeof Simon’s Town. It’s thelastbuilding beforeyouexit town towards Cape Point. Thereare threeselfcateringunitsthatsleep twoto fourpeople. Allthreeunitshave abalcony overlookingthebay. Rates: FromR1350per nightfor twopeople(self-catering). 0827863158; rocklandsbnb.com BOULDERSBEACHHOTEL

FALSEBAYLODGE BOULDERSBEACH

Thetourism office is in St George’s Street,opposite Jubilee Square. 021786 8400; simonstown.com