Driving the False Bay Coast: Muizenberg to Simon's Town by Car and Train
Driving the False Bay Coast: Muizenberg to Simon's Town by Car and Train
A practical guide to the 30-kilometre coastal run down the M4 and the Metro south of Cape Town, with stops, drive times and where to base yourself.
The Route Itself: M4 Versus the Southern Line
The drive from Muizenberg to Simon's Town follows the M4 south for roughly 30 kilometres and takes about 40 minutes without stops, though most people stretch it to a half day. Leaving Muizenberg, the road climbs past St James, with its row of brightly painted bathing boxes, then drops into Kalk Bay, where the harbour and the main road are separated by a single row of buildings. Parking in Kalk Bay is the main constraint: the station car park and the side streets off Boyes Drive fill early, especially on weekends between November and March, when you should aim to arrive before nine in the morning.
Metro's Southern Line runs the same coast and is the better choice if you would rather not drive. Trains leave Muizenberg station roughly hourly and reach Simon's Town in a little under 40 minutes, stopping at Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Glencairn. The stretch between Muizenberg and Fish Hoek is the scenic part, running directly above the water, so sit on the left side heading south. Tickets are bought at the station, and the service is busiest on weekday mornings; check the return times at Simon's Town before you set out, because the afternoon gap can be long.
Muizenberg and Kalk Bay: Surf, Harbour and Food
Muizenberg is where most visitors start, and the reason is the beach: a long, gently shelving curve of sand that produces reliable beginner surf for much of the year. Surf schools cluster along Beach Road and hire boards and wetsuits by the hour. The water is cold, and a wetsuit is not optional outside midsummer. Surfers Corner has the highest concentration of cafes, and the pavilion and the vintage changing huts are the obvious landmark if you are meeting someone. Water quality varies after heavy rain, so locals tend to swim earlier in a dry spell.
Kalk Bay is five minutes further on and rewards a slower stop. The harbour is still a working one, with fishing boats unloading in the early morning, and the main road is lined with bookshops, antique dealers and small galleries. For seafood, the options along the harbour wall are popular and get crowded at lunch; booking ahead on a weekend is sensible. Kalk Bay is also the best place on this stretch to simply sit with coffee and watch the tide come in. If I were choosing one place to stay on the whole route, I would take Kalk Bay over Simon's Town for its walkability and evening atmosphere.
Fish Hoek, Glencairn and the Penguins at Boulders
Fish Hoek is the largest town between Muizenberg and Simon's Town and the most practical for everyday needs, with a long, calm swimming beach that suits families better than Muizenberg's surf. The main road has supermarkets, pharmacies and a few guesthouses a short walk from the sand. Glencairn, the next bay along, is smaller and quieter, sitting beneath the mountains with a pebble beach and a handful of places to eat. Both are useful as a base if you want to be within ten minutes of Simon's Town without paying Simon's Town prices.
Boulders Beach, just before Simon's Town, is the main draw for most travellers: a colony of African penguins that you view from boardwalks above the sand. Entry is ticketed and the site closes in the late afternoon; go early, both for the light and to avoid the tour buses that arrive mid-morning. The beach itself is a separate, sheltered cove where swimming is allowed. Combine it with a stop at the Simon's Town museum and the working naval harbour, then drive the short loop out to Cape Point if you have a full day.
Where to Base Yourself and When to Go
For a trip built around this coastline, I would base in Kalk Bay or Muizenberg if you want restaurants and atmosphere within walking distance, and Fish Hoek if you are travelling with children or want easy parking. Simon's Town itself is worth a night if you plan an early start for Cape Point, but it is quieter in the evening. Rates across the whole route climb sharply in December and January, when South African school holidays coincide with peak international season; late February to April and September to November give you similar weather with more availability and calmer roads.
Allow a full day for the drive if you stop at Boulders and Cape Point, and a half day if you only go as far as Simon's Town. A rental car is the most flexible option, but the train plus a local taxi covers the coast well for a car-free day. Skip the temptation to do the route as a rushed afternoon add-on to a city day; the traffic back through Muizenberg on a weekday evening is slow, and you will see very little. Book accommodation early for the summer months, particularly in Kalk Bay, where the number of rooms is small.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Cape Town, answered with this month’s numbers.
About 40 minutes without stops on the M4, or a half day with stops at Kalk Bay and Boulders Beach. Allow a full day if you continue to Cape Point. Weekday evening traffic back through Muizenberg is slow.
Yes. Metro's Southern Line connects Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Simon's Town in under 40 minutes, with the best sea views between Muizenberg and Fish Hoek. Check return times at Simon's Town station before you set out.
Go early in the morning, before the tour buses arrive mid-morning. The site is ticketed and closes in the late afternoon. Late February to April and September to November are quieter overall than the December and January peak.
