Fifty minutes west of Hermanus on the R44 lies Betty's Bay, a holiday town with no centre, scattered between mountain and sea. At Stony Point, an old whaling station, African penguins have bred since 1985, now one of the largest colonies on the continent. A boardwalk runs straight through the colony, entry R45 for adults, open 08:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30 (as of August 2026). Cormorants, dassies and the remains of the whaling station come with it.
- west of Hermanus
- 45 km
- Stony Point (as of August 2026)
- R45
- penguin colony
- since 1985
- Harold Porter (as of August 2026)
- R55 to R60
The second reason is the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden at the foot of the mountains: ten hectares of planted fynbos garden and behind it a kloof with a trail to the Disa waterfall. Entry R55 in the winter half of the year and R60 from September to March (as of August 2026), open weekdays 08:00 to 16:30 and until 17:00 at weekends. In January the red disas flower in the kloof, the orchid of the Cape. Together, penguins and garden fill a morning; lunch is in Kleinmond or Pringle Bay.
- Time needed
- half a day
- Cost
- Stony Point R45, garden R55 to R60 (as of August 2026)
- When
- all year, disas in January
- From Hermanus
- 45 km, 50 minutes
Our tipGet to Stony Point before ten and the boardwalk is yours, with the penguins not yet in the water. Take a sun hat: there is no shade out there.
Betty's Bay: common questions
What does Stony Point cost?
R45 for adults, open 08:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30 (as of August 2026). A boardwalk runs straight through the African penguin colony.
Stony Point or Boulders Beach near Cape Town?
Stony Point is one of the largest colonies on the continent and has no tour buses. It is on the way if you drive back to Cape Town over the Clarence Drive. Come before ten and the boardwalk is yours.
What does the Harold Porter Botanical Garden cost?
R55 in the winter half of the year and R60 from September to March (as of August 2026), weekdays 08:00 to 16:30 and until 17:00 at weekends. A trail runs from the garden to the Disa waterfall; the red disas flower in January.