I’m a very good tour guide. Now, I know that self-praise is no recommendation, but it is true. I’m not the best tour guide in the world but I’m better than you, so here is a great tip about where to stop on the Cape Peninsula Tour, just before you reach the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope National Park.

Pictures taken at stops like this are the money shots, they put food on my table for years, so here’s the scoop.

Smitswinkel Bay.

If you’re driving from Simon’s Town, it’s on the left before you take the final left into the national park. It’s also a great place to see baboons, as they often hang out here.

Cape Peninsula Tour Page – Convoy Tours

A spectacular view

Smitswinkel Bay is one of those places that is easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. I’ve taken so many people there, I even had a German couple get engaged at that spot and took the photographs! Years ago, a photographer from a UK newspaper, taught me about the ‘rule of thirds’ (look it up) when taking a picture with scenery and people in it, so that’s what I do.

You’re driving towards Cape Point, probably thinking about the penguins you’ve just seen at Boulders Beach and the famous sights waiting for you inside the Cape of Good Hope National Park.

Then, just before you enter the park, you get this beautiful view of the coastline.

The bay sits below you, surrounded by rugged mountains and fynbos, with the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean stretching out in front of you.

It is a fantastic place to stop for a photograph.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the photographs taken here are often some of the best of the entire Cape Peninsula Tour.

And that’s important.

Photographs people take on holiday matter. They are the photographs they show their friends and family when they get home. They are the photographs they put on social media. They are the photographs that remind them of their trip to South Africa years later.

So, finding great places to take photographs is an important part of being a good tour guide.

Cape Peninsula Tour Page – Convoy Tours

Don’t just rush to Cape Point

One of the biggest mistakes visitors can make on the Cape Peninsula is rushing from one famous attraction to the next.

Boulders Beach.

Cape Point.

The Cape of Good Hope.

Tick, tick, tick.

Of course, all of these places are worth visiting. But the journey between them is just as beautiful.

The Cape Peninsula is full of spectacular scenery, and some of the best views are found at places that don’t have a big sign telling you that you have arrived at an attraction.

Smitswinkel Bay is a perfect example.

There is no major visitor centre here. No famous lighthouse. No huge car park full of tour buses.

Just a beautiful view.

And sometimes, that’s all you need.

A great place to see baboons

Smitswinkel Bay is also a good place to see baboons.

They often hang out around this area, and if you are lucky, you may see them while you are stopping to enjoy the view.

They are also incredibly intelligent and opportunistic.

If you are carrying food, they may well be more interested in you than you are in them.

But seeing baboons in their natural environment is another reason why the Cape Peninsula is such a special place to visit. You never quite know what you are going to see.

The Elephant & Barrel: A Hidden Gem in Beautiful Franschhoek – Convoy Tours

Why I like this stop so much

I have been taking people around the Cape Peninsula for many years, and I have stopped at this viewpoint countless times.

The funny thing is that the view never really gets old.

The weather changes. The light changes. The ocean changes.

Sometimes the bay is bright blue beneath a clear sky. On other days, the clouds and mist create a completely different atmosphere.

That is one of the things I love about the Cape Peninsula. You can visit the same place several times and never see exactly the same thing.

For visitors, this is often an unexpected stop.

They may not have heard of Smitswinkel Bay before the tour. They may not even realise that the stop is coming.

Then they get out, look down at the view and reach for their camera.

That reaction never gets old.

A tip from a tour guide

So, if you are driving from Simon’s Town towards Cape Point, keep an eye out for Smitswinkel Bay.

It is on the left, just before you take the final left turn towards the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope National Park.

Stop.

Take the photograph.

Look out for baboons.

And take a moment to enjoy the view.

You are about to enter one of the most beautiful parts of South Africa, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that the best scenery only starts once you pass through the entrance gate.

Some of the best views are waiting just before you get there.

And if you are visiting Cape Town and want to experience the Cape Peninsula properly, don’t just focus on the big attractions.

The penguins are fantastic.

Cape Point is spectacular.

The Cape of Good Hope is unforgettable.

But it is the smaller stops along the way that can sometimes give you the best photographs — and the best memories.

Smitswinkel Bay is my favourite photo stop on the Cape Point Tour.

Now you know where to stop.

I’ve never been sure how the small community of people who live in the bay actually get down there, and I kind of don’t want to know. I like not knowing.

I enjoy the mystery.

Perhaps there is a secret road hidden somewhere in the mountains. Maybe they have some kind of secret access route that nobody has told me about. I could easily find out but I don’t want to

I could probably find out, but where’s the fun in that?

Some things are better left as a mystery.

Want to know where the BEST place to see the Penguin’s is? Have a look here!

Boulders Beach vs Betty’s Bay: Which Penguin Colony Should You Visit? – Convoy Tours