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Visitors to Cape Town have spoken, and the verdict, according to TripAdvisor's Traveller's Choice Awards, is that Boulders Beach - home to its famous African Penguin colony - is the World's most one-of-a-kind beach!
Ask any visitor who has just landed in the Mother City for the first time, and Boulders is usually right up there in their top things to do - that alone makes this local favourite a worthy addition to the Planet's best beaches for 2026, with as little as 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings achieving this kind of recognition. Boulders, in particular, has over 8,600 reviews.
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"The Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period," adds Tripadvisor.
"You might think it's supposed to be a tourist trap, but it's not," says one reviewer, @Departure27277996785. "Saw a penguin as soon as we came down to the beach. Recommend going down to the beach and not just walking on the wooden decking, however, a little difficult to get down because you need to climb on rocks. The name Boulders Beach makes sense. However, more than worth if you want to experience penguins up close."
Another reviewer was more critical. "It was a bit pricey for foreign visitors (about $14) to see a small penguin colony wandering around on the beach. Since I'd already been to Antarctica and seen penguins up close in their natural habitat, this wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped. There are two routes to see the penguins, but you can visit both spots within 30 minutes. It was incredibly crowded, so good luck getting a selfie!" says @TrekkingTales_24.
Fair enough! But they essentially should have subscribed to Time Out Cape Town beforehand.
Locals know that while the walkway is a worthwhile way to see this special colony of penguins (the fees are used for the site's upkeep and conservation efforts of this critically endangered African penguin species, which is not the same as the various species like the Adelie or Emperor Penguins found in Antarctica), there are a few ways to have this extraordinary experience.
Head along Simon’s Town's picturesque Seaforth Beach to Boulders, then along the coastal path to the lesser-known Windmill Beach - this coastal walk offers views of the penguins, without needing to pay the main Boulders fee. It's also a prized spot to go snorkelling and explore the underwater kelp forests of the Cape.
And if you really want to try something different, sign up for a Veld and Sea experience with Roushanna Gray. She works in collaboration with a collective called Khoi Scouts to showcase how sustainable foraging along Cape Town's world-class coastal region is an untapped treasure.
READ: Veld and Sea: Exploring the Cape's wild dining table
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