Tintswalo at Boulders Boutique Villa

Each suite at the Boulders is named after an iconic seafaring vessel. Starting off the tradition, the Victory Suite is named after HMS Victory. This room suite has a dark colour scheme, with darker golds and hazelnut pillows. This suite contains most things you could ask for in terms of simple amenities, from a coffee maker, an air-con, TV and DSTV, hair dryers, and a minibar. The suite does not have an ocean view, but does provide access to its own private courtyard which links into the social firepit.

Located on the left-hand side of the villa, this is an ocean-facing suite with direct access to a balcony and direct access to the Boulders beach walkway. Named after an old East Indian Company vessel, this suite provides affordable and comfortable accommodation, with a serene ocean blue colour scheme, two comfortable queen-sized beds and a full bathroom. Standard amenities are provided, and there is access to a balcony which provides a stunning view of the ocean.

One of the more unique suites; the name comes from a ship that was considered the pinnacle of seafaring engineering, and one of the fastest ships of its era. The Cutty Sark provides a king-sized bed, an exceptional interior, with comfort and style blending seamlessly together. This room may not have its own balcony but comes with a great side view of Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay. You will have access to the standard amenities of the other rooms, but the room provides plenty of standout areas such as a porthole window looking out from the bathroom, an exquisite mirror, and a delightful cyan and sapphire colour scheme.

The Bounty was a floating greenhouse ship used to gather plant samples, and known for its infamous mutiny. The interior of this room continues to encompass the aquamarine theme of the establishment, with coral inspired china, and soothing beach views. The room comes complete with either a king bed, or twin beds, with a stylish demeanour reminiscent of an old military captains bunk, with the same high quality amenities provided in the other rooms.

The ship this Superior Suite draws its namesake from was a warship, built in 1511. It is a suite situated on the ground floor, facing the ocean and provides a small balcony for you to take in the beautiful sights of the Boulders Beach. This room is imbued with a vintage charm, with its king-sized beds grand looking, with its carved wooden canopy. Some old vintage sketches and paintings are framed on the wall to help emphasise the classical aesthetic approach signified by the suite’s namesake. The standard amenities from the other suites are available, with a fully provisioned bathroom.

Named after a cargo ship that carried 70 pilgrims from Great Britain to North America, this Superior Suite is situated by the ground floor of the villa and is facing the ocean. It contains two twin-sized beds, a classic interior design with decorated wallpaper and is very spacious. The beds directly face the balcony, providing a scenic view out over the ocean from the comfort of your own bed. Additional amenities include an electronic safe, a minibar, air-con, shampoo and conditioner, and spacious bathroom facilities.

Water Witch Suite is named after a private yacht, and fittingly so for this high-end premium suite. Water Witch offers some of the best views of the Indian Ocean and Boulders Beach. It also comes with an incredibly spacious and comfortable king-sized bed. The interior design inside the Water Witch Suite is the most striking the establishment has to offer, with a brick-layered fireplace, unique choices of sculpture and comfortable recliner armchairs. As well as a great view of the beach and sea, it also has a large balcony to view them from, giving you plenty of space to sit back and relax as you look out over the ocean. The suite also comes with direct access to the pool area.

This is a premiere suite which comes with plenty of comfortable seating and excellent view from the balcony and direct access to the pool. The room is named after one of the three 17th century ships that carried Jan Van Riebeek to the shores of South Africa. The king-size bed is cosy and comfortable, and the bathroom facilities are well provisioned. All the expected amenities are provided, including towels, hairdryers, air-con, TV, tea and coffee facilities, and a minibar.

An in-house dining option is provided, where food can be enjoyed on the terrace overlooking Boulders Beach. A variety of two-course menus are offered, including mustard crust roast beef and juf with steamed roast beef, sea bass and prawn curry, duck fat potatoes, fresh baked bread and Tintswalo salad. Enjoy your meals watching the penguins, or around the social fire pit.

Located by the penguin colony, Seaforth Restaurant provides a platter of seafood to eat alongside Boulder Beach, so you can watch the penguins as you eat. The menu is brimming with options, including a smoked salmon pasta, a marinated Mediterranean squid salad, and homemade fishcakes. In keeping with Simons Town’s maritime traditions, where better to go for some of the finest seafood you can get.

For those looking for a restaurant with a vegetarian option, then the Saveur Restaurant can provide. Alongside providing a tantalising selection of chicken burgers, fries, seafood and more, the restaurant also provides sizeable vegan options including a croissant loaded with portobello and spinach, granola, a wide variety of Beyond Burgers served with seasoned chips, vegan mayo and giant onion rings, and French toast.

Plenty of standard vegetarian options are also included on the menu, such as a Spanish style open omelette, and an eggs Hollandaise. Finally, there’s a great selection of beverages, ranging from chai tea to coffee. After a day out exploring the astounding wildlife of Simons Town and False Bay, this can be an ideal location to retreat to so you can catch some shade and order a great tasting burger to finish the day off on a high note.

One package offered is the snorkelling package. Three days of snorkelling, including training, and the opportunity to snorkel in the ecologically sophisticated biozone that is the kelp forest are offered to guests. Those who are into documentaries may recognise this location as the setting of Netflix’s My Octopus Teacher. It is situated in False Bay, home to some of the most biodiverse underwater environments in the Cape Town area.

Additionally, the package offers the opportunity to kayak in the bay around Simons Town, which is located close to the boulders. The kayak trip is a 2-hour guided tour in which you will paddle around the areas where the penguins are swimming. You will be accompanied by a qualified marine conservationist.

The package also offers tours for both shark and whale-watching. For whale-watching, you will set out on a two hour tour of the coastal area on the search for sightings of local whale and dolphin species, as well as sharks and seals. The most common whale around the Simons Town and False Bay areas is the Southern Right Whale.

As for shark-watching, you will be able to take a dive in a daunting shark cage, and get up close with the terrifying Great White. False Bay is also one of the few places in the world where Great Whites are known to breach as part of their natural behaviour. Breaching involves the shark coming up from below and attacking its prey, emerging and leaping out from the water. It is an absolutely spectacular sight to see.

Few beaches come close to capturing what Boulders Beach can bring you. Boulders Beach allows you to swim and sunbathe right alongside a giant colony of African Cape Penguins. These fascinating aquatic birds number in the thousands, and are extremely community and family oriented in their behaviour. For these penguins, the colony is life, and they travel, swim and hunt together frequently. From the Boulders Beach area, you will get an opportunity to watch the colony.

The colony began from two breeding pairs back in 1982. The penguins can also be viewed from Foxy Beach, where walkways have been constructed to view the penguins in a safe manner. The colony is protected by the conservation group SANParks. To enter, a conservation fee must be paid.