Stony Point Nature Reserve Travel Guide: Top Sights in South africa,

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Stony Point Nature Reserve- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; South Africa; 5 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 2 hours

Stony Point Nature Reserve sits beside the coastal village of Betty's Bay in South Africa's Overberg region and hosts one of the only two mainland breeding colonies of African penguins in the country. Established in the early 1980s by a pioneer pair—probably from offshore islands—the colony has grown to support over 2,000 breeding pairs, making it the largest on the Western Cape mainland. Visitors walk along a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that winds through the rocky shore nesting areas, allowing close observation of penguins engaging in daily life, complemented by interpretive signage explaining their behaviors and conservation status. The reserve also preserves remnants of the early 20th-century Waaygat Whaling Station, where visitors can glimpse silent machinery and coastal ruins that hint at a former era of whale processing at this site. Beyond penguins, Stony Point shelters several threatened seabird species—including Bank, Cape, White‑breasted and Crowned cormorants—alongside Hartlaub's and Kelp Gulls, and rock hyrax (dassie) frequently seen on the surrounding boulders. Marine life such as seasonal southern right and humpback whales may be spotted offshore between July and November, adding to the region's biodiversity significance within the Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area and Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.

Operators offering tours in South Africa

Attractions in Betty's Bay

Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens

Reviews of Stony Point Nature Reserve

Gozde Kilic

5
Reviewed: 2025-06-18

It was a beautiful spot with penguins and lots of dassies. Entrance fee is 40r pp. It was quite and peaceful.
Noordien Dyers

5
Reviewed: 2025-05-23

Stony point nature reserve was great 👍 I would highly recommend to anyone any age. Family friendly and it's absolutely free. The best part is there is penguins 🐧!!! Please be mindful of the penguins when visiting And check under the car before leaving
Mariska Erasmus

5
Reviewed: 2025-05-01

Affordable , and just fun with the family. We have visited a few times already, some times you see more penguins than other times, one thing is the view stas beautiful. A must visit.
Ксения Л.

5
Reviewed: 2024-09-24

great place 😍 entrance costs 40 rand. there are a lot of penguins here, just hundreds. we were on sunday, it was warm and despite this there were not many tourists. penguins at every step. lots of baby penguins. also several penguins built a house for themselves right next to the parking lot, there were mothers and their two penguins. mostly penguins are lazy and just lie around. amazing emotions.There is a parking lot, toilets and a cafe.
Koen Zomers

4
Reviewed: 2024-05-07

Nice place to see the penguins. Entrance fee only 30 ZAR for adults and 20 ZAR for kids. Card payments preferred over cash payments. Easy to spot them from the wooden boardwalks. Must say Boulders Beach is a little nicer to visit and see the penguins, even if you don't go for the excessive entrance fee there and just walk the free wooden boardwalks there, like we did. Clean free public restrooms on site.