Swakopmund is the adrenaline capital of Namibia. Sandwiched between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean, the city offers lots of options from Skydiving, to boat tours, to deserts camel tours.
This article provides tips on what to do and see in Swakopmund.
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How to reach Swakopmund?
Swakopmund is located 350km away from Windhoek. It can be reached through 3h30 drive through a modern highway.
From Walvis Bay it is only a 30-minute drive away from Swakopmund.
From Cape Cross, the drive takes 1h30 (135km) across the Dorob National Park.
Where to stop on the way to Swakopmund?
Dorob National Park
The park is 1600 km long and hosts up to 1.6 million birds. Due to its location and geography, the park is often subject to high winds and sand storms.
The architecture of the few villages you will see on your way is quite interesting. Indeed, they all have very colorful houses. For some reasons, they made us think of the type of houses you can find in areas such as Norway or Greenland.
While driving through the area, you can see on the side of the road little stands with salt crystals. In fact, you can stop, admire them and even purchase them by leaving some money in the jar.
You can stop as well as one of the numerous beaches with dark pink sand on the way to Swakopmund from Cape Cross. In there, you will meet a few locals trying their luck at shore fishing, a very popular activity in the region.
Where to stay in Swakopmund?
From the luxurious Swakopmund Strand Hotel to the budget-friendly Skeleton Beach Backpackers, Swakopmund has lots of options when it comes to accommodation.
As far as we are concerned, we decided to go for the mid-range Dome Swakopmund Hotel. Indeed, after several nights sleeping on top of the car, we needed to take a comfortable break without going over budget. Therefore, the Dome complex seemed like the perfect compromise.
What to do in Swakopmund
In the city
Admire the German Architecture
One must bear in mind that, Swakopmund is a very surprising place. Out of all cities in Namibia, it is certainly the one with the most European influence. Indeed, the city inherited the architecture from the German-colonial era. Thus, it was founded in 1892 by the German Captain Curt von François.
While driving through the city our first impressions were that it was very clean, calm, colorful and rich. Indeed, there were many villas and expensive cars around the city center. Buildings such as the Woermann House or Hohenzollern Building for are the most famous but truly we just recommend to wander around and to enjoy the architecture everywhere.
Walk along Swakopmund jetty
Another interesting spot in the city is the 100-year-old jetty. Indeed, the long pier renovated in 2006 offers you nice views over the beaches of Swakopmund. In there, we got to see so many groups of birds flying, a few seals and other marine life. You can also see the numerous oil rigs from far away.
In addition, there is now a nice restaurant in there called Jetty 1905 that serves tasty seafood. For bookings, you can directly call their number : +264 64 405 664
Sunbathe at Swakopmund beaches
To be fully honest, the South Atlantic isn’t the warmest of all the oceans. While in there, we saw some brave seniors that went to swim. However, for most of us, a walk on one of the Swakopmund’s two beaches would be more than enough to enjoy the view.
Learn some history at the Swakopmund Museum
Right next to mole beach is the Swakopmund Museum. The museum is one of the biggest in Namibia. Thus, it mixes collections of all types. From ethnology to zoology, to botany you can have access to the museum for about 30 NAD / 2 USD. Right behind it, you will also get to see the Swakopmund lighthouse.
Shop for local crafts at the Art Market
Right behind the museum and adjacent to the luxurious Swakopmund Strand Hotel you will find an informal art market. In there, you will see some nice wall paintings.
If you wish to buy some nice Namibian masks or wood sculptures, Said is your guy. In addition to giving us very reasonable prices, at no point did we feel that he was over-pushing to purchase his products. To the contrary, we really appreciated genuine uninterested conversation we had with him about his experience as an art seller in Swakopmund.
Look for hidden gems at the Kristall Gallerie
The main curiosity of this gallery resides in the presence of a 14 000 kg (30 800 lbs) quartz stone. In fact, the 500 million-year-old gem is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the world. For your information, the gallery is open from Monday to Saturday (9am – 5pm).
Enjoy local food
In Swakopmund you will encounter principally 2 types of food : Seafood and German inspired food. Thus, for great seafood, we recommend Jetty 1905 , the Fish Deli or The Tug. As far as German food is concerned Swakopmund Brauhaus is generally considered a good option.
Around the city
Jump from a plane in tandem skydiving
No matter where you do it, Skydiving is always an incredible experience. However, from my own personal experience, I recommend to carefully choose a place with a nice scenery. You want to spend an unforgettable moment, especially if you intend to only skydive once in your life.
Swakopmund does offer good views of the city, the desert and the ocean. In any case, there are a few reputable skydiving companies in Swakopmund. As far as I am concerned, I did not do it this time as I had already jumped out of a plane a few years back in Florida.
Walk amongst 200 000 seals
This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. With up to 200 000 seals concentrated over one beach during breeding season, Cape Cross Seals Reserve hosts the largest cape fur seals colony in the world. In a word, the number of seals lying around was simply surreal and impossible for us to process.
Read the NassPacker ultimate guide to visit Cape Cross Seals Reserve.
Take the best Quad Ride of your life
40 km south of Swakopmund and very easily accessible from Walvis Bay, lays Dune 7. This dune is the highest of the Namib Desert.
Initially, we just went quad biking to kill time. Indeed, with endless deserts in Dubai, we gotta say that we weren’t particularly missing it.
However, we were very positively surprised by this quad bike ride. Thus, it ended up being the best quad ride I have ever had. Besides, the views of the desert were just out of this world.
Read the NassPacker ultimate guide to visiting Walvis Bay
Camel riding
Then, you may as well go for a camel ride since you are already in the desert. Located next to Walvis Bay Airport, the Swakopmund Camel Farm offers camel rides starting at 200 NAD / 13 USD for 20 minutes.
Dolphin Watch tours
The cold waters of the South Atlantic Ocean are full of wildlife. In fact, you can opt to go on a boat tour and try your luck to spot some turtles, whales, seals and dolphin pods.
Another option would be to consider the half-day luxury catamaran tour from Walvis Bay.
After the Safari BIG 5, chase the Desert Little 5
Who knew that after chasing the BIG 5 in safaris (Lions, Rhinos, Leopards, Elephants and Buffalos), you could also look for the Small 5. Indeed, some some tours can take you through the desert to look for these unique tiny animals. It would be very difficult to spot the tiny creatures all by yourself in the middle of the desert. Therefore, their services are a must. Besides, some of these animals can be as dangerous if not more than some of the BIG 5.
You have among them :
- Namib Dune Gecko
- Shovel Snouted Lizard
- Sidewinder snake
- Cartwheeling Spider
- Namaqua Chameleon
- Black scorpion
- Reticulated Desert Lizard
- Fitzsimon’s Burrowing Skink
- Tenebrionid Beetles
- Namib Sand Snake
Moon Landscape
Located 40 km away from Swakopmund, the Moon Landscape was formed millions of years ago. Without a doubt, you can easily spend half a day exploring the whole area if you have enough time. You may encounter interestingly shaped rocks, smalls animals as well as the famous endemic Welwitschia plant. In fact, these plants are nicknamed the immortal plants as some of them are believed to be almost 1600 years old.
You can also see the Welwitschia plants directly in the UNESCO protected Welwitschia Plains located 1h away from Swakopmund. To visit both the plains and the Moon Landscape, you may as well join a guided tour.
After recharging your batteries in the comfortable Swakopmund, head straight to the magical Spitzkoppe and spend the night contemplating the Milky way.
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