A visit to Tintswalo at Boulders, Simon’s Town

I admit there’s a feeling of delicious superiority that comes with staying at Boulders. While the tourist masses visiting the penguin colony pass by on the boardwalk, staying for maybe half an hour before getting back on their buses, you, the ‘local’, can take a quick shot-left through a garden gate and up to your villa for tea.

In the morning, before said masses arrive, you can pop down to the beach – around 630 steps (I counted) in the opposite direction – for a swim in relative privacy, and stake your claim on the small patch of sand, because if the weather’s good you’ll want to stay a while at the most charming of Cape Town’s beaches.

In contrast to Tintswalo Atlantic across the peninsula near Hout Bay, this is smaller, but still a grand, three-level holiday home. Like its sister, it has a mesmerising sea view; the whole of False Bay lies before you in blue splendour. Here, it’s the sunrise that steals the show.

Inside it’s beautiful too – there are three living rooms with fireplaces, fascinating artworks (historical maps, botanical prints, paintings, and models of ships), two balconies (lovely for breakfast or a candlelit dinner) and an inner courtyard with a firepit. The cinema room has those giant beanbags you feel might swallow you up.

There are eight bedrooms, each named after famous ships – super-spacious and filled with luxurious touches. I stayed in Mayflower, a corner suite on the ground floor (all the better to hear the sea at night). If you’d like a grand four-poster bed, ask for Mary Rose; if you want ultra-privacy and don’t mind giving up a sea view for your own garden courtyard, book Victory. On the top floor, Drommedaris and Water Witch have direct access to the rooftop deck with its small raised pool overlooking the ocean. It would be no effort at all to float away a hot afternoon in this perfect cube of water.

Tintswalo at Boulders is run as a B&B, but it’s also ideal for exclusive-use groups. Gracious villa supervisor Stanford Ndebele and manager Tatum Ehrenreich are on hand to turn your every wish into reality, and can book outings on your behalf such as sea kayaking, guided snorkelling and trips to Cape Point, all in the immediate vicinity. Seaforth Beach and Simon’s Town’s quaint shops and cafés are an easy stroll down the road (no need to find parking – a real bonus on weekends).

Best feature The views and privacy. It’s a dream seaside villa in a special location.

Cost From R1,250 per person sharing B&B, including afternoon snacks; from R24,000 for the whole place (sleeps 18 adults plus two children). The opening special – book for two nights and get the third free – is valid until 31 March 2019.