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This is a list of places on the Namibian Coast, if you're looking for somewhere in another region click here. If you need accommodation anywhere in Namibia please visit our accommodation in Namibia section and for safaris that visit these places visit our safaris in Namibia section. For any questions regarding Namibia please do not hesitate to email us
Cape Cross
Cape Cross is where the first Europeans landed in 1486 when Diego Ciao erected a two-metre-high cross. In 1893 the cross was however removed and sent to Germany. Now Cape Cross is more commonly known as a Cape Fur Seal breeding colony. It is well worth a visit to see thousands of seals sprawled on the beach.
Kolmanskop
The ghost town of Kolmanskop, near Lüderitz, is gradually being devoured by the inexorable advance of the sand. Initially it was little more than a train stop, but when hundreds of carats of diamonds were discovered littering the ground nearby Kolmanskop became a thriving and prosperous town. Same story as any other ghost town: when the diamonds ran out in the area, people saw no reason to remain, and the last families departed in the 'fifties. Nevertheless it is said that Kolmanskop had electricity before London.
Lüderitz
Luderitz is a quirky town lodged in one of the best harbours on the least hospitable coast in Africa. It was founded in 1883 when Heinrich Vogelsang purchased Angra Pequena and some of the surrounding land on behalf of Adolf Lüderitz, a hanseat from Bremen, from the local Nama chief. It began life as a trading post, fishing and guano-harvesting town, but when diamonds were discovered in 1909 near nearby Kolmanskop, Lüderitz enjoyed a sudden surge of prosperity. Now the diamonds are mostly found elsewhere and offshore, so Lüderitz has reverted to its former self. Its appeal as a town lies in the fact that little has changed since the early 20th century (and in fact it has hardly grown at all).
The Namib Desert
The Namib desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world, and receives almost no precipitation. It stretches from the Orange River in the south to just north of the Kunene River, and is between 80 and 250 kilometres wide. Its trademark rust red dunes (which are in fact red because of ancient iron oxide deposits in the quartz which makes it up) were washed ashore over millennia by the icy Benguela Current from deposits washed down the Orange River. The Namib Desert features some truly bizarre life forms (notably the Welwitschia Mirabilis and the desert elephant), as well as the tallest dunes in the world at Sossusvlei. Inhospitable as it is, there are still three major towns on the coast where the desert meets the sea: Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. Much of the Namib Desert is situated within the Namib-Naukluft Park.
Inland from the Namib proper is the dry highland scrub known as the pronamib, which includes the Khomas Highland, a lot of Damaraland and Kaokoland, and most of the south up to the Kalahari Desert.
Skeleton Coast Park
The Skeleton Coast Park stretches from the Kunene River in the north for approximately 500km to the Ugab River in the south. The landscape includes sand dunes, canyons and mountain ranges. This is one of the least accessible regions of Namibia.
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is the premier holiday resort in Namibia. During the summer holidays and long weekends thousands of Namibian's flock to the coast. This migration happens for a couple of reasons, Swakopmund has a real holiday feel and everyone wants to be there, and during the December holidays the cool Namibian coast offers relief from the intense heat of the interior
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is the main harbour town in Namibia, the harbour is visited by many fishing boats, cargo vessels and an incresing number of passenger cruise liners. Attractions of Walvis Bay are the lagoon with its prolific bird life and variety of recreational possibilities, a desert golf course, a choice of restaurants and adventure activities such as sea kayaking and dolphin cruises.