Simon's Town Things to Do

Simon's Town - and indeed, most of the little towns along the False Bay coastline of the peninsula - is a narrow ribbon of development that clings to the eastern slope of the mountain, so as soon as you venture inland of the main road, you start to climb steeply.

Your reward for this strenous exercise is the opportunity to stroll along the backstreets of the town, which are far removed from the bustle of the Royal Mile. The architecture is amazing, with one bijou Victorian building after another, all lovingly restored to their former glory. Although the gardens are very small, they inject unexpected splashes of colour into the densely built up streets, and the vibrant jewel tones of bougainevillea in particular are a spectacular counterpoint to the white buildings.

If this is exercise, then bring it on!

I'm all for functional buildings, but when functionality comes in such a downright ugly form in an otherwise beautiful town, it really makes my hackles rise.

This architectural carbuncle is the Naval headquarters in Simon's Town, located on the southern fringe of town on the way to Seaforth and Boulders Beach. I can't quite decide whether it's more hideous in good or bad weather (the stark battleship greyness is at least in keeping with the stormy Cape weather, and, with any luck, the driving rain and mist will help to conceal it from view), but it doesn't really matter, as you'll have no option but to drive past it if you intend to travel this route.

Utterly hideous and sady impossible to avoid.

Simon's Town has such a Victorian atmosphere, redolent of Empire and firm conviction that God is an Englishman (and probably an Anglican to boot) that it comes as a surprise to see a signpost for a mosque off the Historic Mile.

Most people wouldn't associate South Africa with Muslim culture, but in fact Islam is the second most popular religion in South Africa after Christianity (well, third if you count those who declared themselves as having 'no religion' in the last census) and comprise a very visible 1.5% of the population. South African Muslims are usually Sunni and are drawn from the Cape Coloured community (the descendents of slaves imported from South East Asia) and a proportion of the Indian community.

The picturesque little mosque is tucked away up one of the little staircases that characterise the towns of the False Bay coastline and is all but invisible from the Historic Mile. It is signposted from the main road if you are travelling south, but not if you're travelling north.

There are a multitude of trips that you can do from Simon's Town harbour, from whale watching tours (in the whale season between April and November) to trips to Sea Island.

This is also the point of departure for the water taxi to Kalk Bay.

Other more energetic pursuits which depart from the harbour include sea kayaking.

When I fell desperately in love with my husband well over a decade ago, little did I suspect that he would turn out to be a tweezer-wielding nerd!

In case this conjurs up wholly unrealistic metrosexual images, I should add that he is a third generation philatalist, and that he has assured the next generation of stamp collecters by getting our daughter hooked!

I know nothing about stamps, but I am reliably informed that Simon's Town post office is one of the first in the country to receive new stamp editions, and that on one or two occasions in the past when a new stamp has been withdrawn just prior to its intended issue date, Simon's Town has already sold some, making these 'rogue' stamps eminently collectable. Can't say that it excites me much, but each to their own!

Of all the gorgeous buildings in Simon's Town, I think that the British Hotel is my absolute favourite.

This glorious building dates back to 1871 and, for me, epitomises the very best of Victorian colonial architecture. The balance and proportion of the building is just exquisite, and the three level arrangement of verandah and balconies, whose balustrades are garnished with 'broekie lace' wrought iron detail is simply lovely.

It has now been converted into self catering holiday apartments (from family friendly units to loft apartments), some of which offer sea views from their balconies. I haven't stayed here myself, so can't provide a review of this accommodation, but if the interior facilities are anywhere near as wonderful as the external appearance of the building, it must be a tremendous place to stay.

The Prince Alfred building is one of the few surviving pre-Victorian buildings in Simon's Town and dates back to 1802, which means that it predates the transfer of the Cape Colony from Dutch to British control in 1814.

Interestingly, although the architecture is much simpler than the ornate Victorian style of most other buildings on the Royal Mile, it still contains many of the same components - particularly the shady verandahs - whereas the Dutch influence is apparent in the simple curved gable.

It is now a 'boutique' backpackers' hostel - I'm not quite sure how this differs from a standard backpackers' place, but then I haven't stayed there and so can't comment.

By far the best view of Simon's Town is from the Red Hill Road, which is a left turn from the coastal road heading north, located about 1km out of town.

In order to accommodate the steep gradient, this section of the road incorporates a series of hairpin bends (switchbacks) and also carries quite a lot of traffic. There is a vantage point just below the top of the pass, so fortunately there is no need to stop on the road further down in order to take advantage of the amazing photo opportunity.

If you follow this road further, it takes you over the ridge that forms the 'spine' of the peninsula. From here, you can either turn south towards Cape Point or keep going until you hit the Atlantic coast at Scarborough, from where you can take the beautifully scenic drive north to Kommetjie.