Hout Bay is just 30 mins south of Cape Town.

Driving from Hermanus we stopped at Boulders Beach on our way to see the penguins.

They are great to watch, waddling across the boulders timing their leaps back into the see or warming themselves in the sunshine.

The beach area is magical and a big part of it is sectioned off for the penguins but there are a couple of viewpoints letting you see them.

They are cute looking birds, they have pink markings above their eyelids and also a black mark which looks like their eyes but their eyelids are actually below the markings.

A baby penguin below with it’s fluffy down coat. It takes a couple of months for their juvenile waterproof coats to be ready for the sea.

The parents take turns to sit on their eggs prior to hatching.

There is another part of the beach for human visitors and some of the penguins can be seen here too.

Get too close and they may peck you!

The drive from Boulders beach takes you along Chapman’s Peak Drive, a cliff hugging 9 km drive with some spectacular views.

Below is a view from Hout Bay beach looking back at Chapman’s Peak.

Similar vantage point but with clouds gathering on the mountain.

The harbour area in Hout Bay.

Hout Bay was a nice stopover and it’s proximity to Cape Town was handy too.

Next we move up to Camps Bay, just 15 mins from Cape Town.