Namibia · Southern Africa
Swakopmund and the coast.
Swakopmund is a German colonial seaside town between the desert and the Atlantic, and the base for the country's adventure activities.
Photo David Lartey / Unsplash
It is where a Namibian itinerary usually pauses: quad-biking and sandboarding on the dunes, scenic flights over the Skeleton Coast, and boat trips from Walvis Bay for dolphins, seals and pelicans.
How do you get to Swakopmund?
By road from Windhoek, about four hours on tar, or from Sossusvlei, a drive of several hours on gravel. Walvis Bay airport, around forty minutes south, has flights from Windhoek and from South Africa.
What is Sandwich Harbour?
A stretch of coast south of Walvis Bay where tall dunes run straight into the Atlantic, with a lagoon behind them. It is reached by 4x4 with a guide along the beach, and the drive depends on the tide.
What is there to do in Swakopmund?
Quad-biking and sandboarding in the dunes, a guided walk to find the small desert life of the Namib, scenic flights over the dunes and the Skeleton Coast, and boat or kayak trips on Walvis Bay's lagoon among Cape fur seals, dolphins and pelicans. The lagoon is also known for its flamingos.
What is the difference between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay?
Swakopmund is the town to stay in, with its German colonial buildings, cafés and seafront. Walvis Bay, about half an hour south, is the port and the airport, and the starting point for the lagoon cruises and Sandwich Harbour.
How long should you spend in Swakopmund?
Two nights, usually between Sossusvlei and the north. The cold Benguela current keeps the coast cooler and often foggy, which makes a change from the desert on either side.
What is there to see in Swakopmund and the coast?
What does Swakopmund and the coast pair well with?
- Sossusvlei and the NamibSossusvlei's red dunes are the image of Namibia, and Deadvlei's dead camel-thorn trees on a white clay pan are the most photographed thing in the country.
- The Skeleton Coast and DamaralandThe Skeleton Coast is where the desert meets a cold Atlantic, and Damaraland inland holds desert-adapted elephant and ancient rock art.
- EtoshaEtosha is Namibia's principal game park, built around a salt pan so large it is visible from space.
Planning
Elsewhere in Namibia
- The Caprivi and the Zambezi RegionThe narrow strip in the far north-east is green, riverine and completely unlike the rest of the country.
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