Stony Point Penguin Colony

By Vicky · Published Sep. 19th, 2022 · Updated Aug. 4th, 2023

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The Stony Point Penguin Colony in Betty’s Bay is a wonderful place to see the penguins, with few tourists and beautiful coastline.

** The Boardwalk at Stony Point Penguin Colony is currently closed (August 2024) **

Location

The walk to see the penguins at Stony Point starts from a car park in Betty’s Bay. It takes about 1hr20 to drive from central Cape Town, along Highway 2 and then the scenic R44. There are small signs for the penguins from the R44 along Porter Drive. There are several more small signs pointing the way to the penguins in Betty’s Bay.

Map of Stony Point Penguin Colony Walk

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

From the car park head right towards On the Edge Restaurant*. There’s also a toilet here if you need it. Head towards the ocean and you’ll already see plenty of penguins on the coastline and on the concrete ramp leading into the water. This ramp was part of the whaling station in Betty’s Bay that used to be here several decades ago before the area was turned into a refuge for African penguins.

On the right you’ll see the path leading to the entrance to Stony Point Nature Reserve and the penguin sanctuary. Entrance tickets cost R30/20 per adult/child and even though Cape Nature manage the reserve, WildCards are not accepted. Stony Point Penguin Colony is open from 8 am to 4:30 pm every day, with the last entrance at 4 pm.

Into Stony Point Penguin Colony

Once through the entrance booth, there’s a wooden boardwalk that leads a few hundred metres along the coastline. You’ll see many penguins both in the water on your left and in the low vegetation on your right. The birds fish in the water, but sleep on land in little burrows dug in the dirt.

Apart from penguins, also look out for the other bids. These include four different types of cormorants – the Crowned cormorant, the Cape cormorant, the Bank cormorant and the White-breasted cormorant. Make sure to take binoculars* if you want to distinguish between the four similar species.

There are several viewpoints and information boards along the walkway, and a viewpoint right at the far end. You can see the rocky coastline, the blue ocean and look back on the mountains of Kogelberg. There are loads of sea birds sitting on the rocks, and you can also see dassies sunbathing on the rocks with the penguins.

Once you’ve reached the far point, turn around and walk back the same way. The On the Edge Restaurant* by the car park is a nice place to have a drink or grab a bite to eat before continuing onwards.

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For other short walks nearby, stroll to Hangklip Lighthouse or wander about in Harold Porter Botanic Gardens. For more nearby things to do, check out our guide to Kogelberg and Cape Hangklip area. Or, for many more walks in South Africa, see our South Africa Hiking Guide.