Namibia's seaside town between the dunes and the Atlantic: colonial architecture, the Living Desert and the flamingos of nearby Walvis Bay lagoon.
Swakopmund sits where the Namib Desert meets the cold Atlantic. Founded in 1892 as a German colonial harbour, it still has the buildings to prove it: the Woermannhaus, the old jetty and streets of colonial facades between palm trees and sea mist. Today it is the coast's holiday town and a comfortable base for a day or two between the desert and the Skeleton Coast.
The desert around it is far from empty. Guided excursions into the Living Desert show how plants and small animals survive on coastal fog, and the gravel plains inland hold Welwitschia mirabilis, the famous desert plant that can live for more than a thousand years. Just to the south, the Walvis Bay lagoon, a RAMSAR wetland, draws greater and lesser flamingos, white pelicans and coastal waders.
On our longer safaris Swakopmund follows Sossusvlei: the drive crosses the gravel plains, the Tropic of Capricorn and the Kuiseb Canyon, with a stop for the flamingos at Walvis Bay on the way into town.
Year round. The coast stays mild, and mornings are often misty.
About 4 hours west of Windhoek on the tarred B2 (approx. 360 km), or roughly 30 minutes from Walvis Bay. Transfers run on both routes.
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Tar roads (B1 & B2) via Karibib
Transfer from Windhoek, or straight from the airport, to Swakopmund on the coast: about four hours on tar roads.
Tar coastal road (B2)
Short coastal transfer between Walvis Bay, town or airport, and Swakopmund: about 30 to 40 minutes.
Salt road (C34) along the coast
Transfer north along the coast to Henties Bay, Cape Cross or the Ugab Gate of Skeleton Coast Park.
Gravel roads via the Kuiseb Pass
Transfer from Swakopmund or Walvis Bay to Sesriem and Sossusvlei on gravel roads via the Kuiseb Pass and Solitaire.
Tar roads via Omaruru & Outjo
Transfer from the coast to Etosha National Park via Karibib, Omaruru and Outjo: about six hours on tar.
Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and we will suggest a private route, a small-group departure or a transfer that fits.
