Swakopmund

Swakopmund, located on the Atlantic coast of Northwestern Namibia, was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa. German colonial architecture can still be found in Swakopmund, as well as quite a number of Namibians speaking German. The Swakopmund of today is a seaside town with a strong focus on tourism.
Attractions in Swakopmund include a Swakopmund Museum, the National Marine Aquarium, a crystal gallery and spectacular sand dunes near Langstrand south of the Swakop River. Outside of the city, the Rossmund Desert Golf Course is one of only 5 all-grass desert golf courses in the world. The city is also known for adrenaline sports, such as skydiving, sandboarding, surfing (in the pretty cold Atlantic Ocean), quadbiking and much more!

Although Swakopmund is quite known outside Namibia, the city is actually only the 5st largest in Namibia. It has only a little more than 40,000 inhabitants. Windhoek is obviously the biggest city in Namibia (and the capital of course) with roughly around 300,000 people residing there, followed by Rundu (in the North), Walvis Bay (just South of Swakopmund) and Oshakati (close to the border with Angola).

Beside the adrenaline sports, you can also join a tour to the Townships of Swakop, visit the brewery, the Namib, the museums or stroll through the streets and enjoy the pretty unique (for Southern Africa) architecture...

How to get there?

As always in Namibia the easiest option to get around is by car. And like in South Africa renting a car is no problem at all. It is slightly more expensive, but thats it. The drive from Windhoek to Swakopmund is pretty easy - no problem at all! Make use of google maps for a detailled and individual route description.
If you don't want to rent a car you can also join an organised tour to get to see the beach town of Swakopmund.
An other option is taking the train from Windhoek to Walvis Bay via Swakopmund. If you prefer a fancy tourist-orientated train you should book yourself on the Desert Express. The train has sleepers (with en suite shower/toilet), a restaurant, bar & lounge. If you want to go there by bus take the Intercape mainliner bus (Windhoek <> Swakopmund on various days/week). Hitchhiking might be an alternative too, but check with your accommodation staff/locals if it is ok.

See the tra:mag routes tour suggestions!

Where to stay?

Swakopmund is a tourist town, so all kind of accommodation can be found in town. From posh hotels to backpackers - all travellers will find what they are looking for.

Namib-Naukluft Park
The Namib Naukluft Park is one of the largest nature conservation areas in the world, containing mainly arid and semi-arid ecosystems. It covers an area of nearly 50 000km², stretching along the southern part of Namibia's coastline from Walvis Bay to Lüderitz.
Spitzkoppe
The Spitzkoppe, also known as the "Matterhorn of Namibia", is a group of bald granite peaks located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert . The granite is more than 700 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1784 meters (5857 feet) above sea level . The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains. The highest peak is about 700m above the floor of the desert below.

 

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© Sebastian Hermanns - All Rights Reserved - last modified 2018-10-19 2:37 PM