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Sandwich Harbour
N permit is needed to visit Sandwich Harbour which is
available at the petrol stations of Walvis Bay
and Swakopmund. Also, a 4x4 is indispensable.
Camping is not allowed in Sandwich Harbour. No
fishing between the 25th of January and the 15th of
April.
How to drive there: Before you tackle the sandy part
of the route to Sandwich Harbour, your vehicle must
be in 4-wheel mode. (engage wheel hubs at the front
wheels). If you are not familiar with 4-wheel
drives, let the car rental agency show you how it
works. You should reduce the pressure on all the
tyres considerably so that they're soft and wide and
won't get stuck in the sand, Stick to the lower
gears, keep the revs high and try to stay in the
main lane when you drive through soft sand
stretches.
The Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is the oldest and most arid desert
region in the world, having been around for more
than 80 million years. In the Nama language, ‘Namib’
means 'vast', a description perfectly suited to the
miles of barren landscape stretching endlessly along
Namibia’s Atlantic coastline.
 The
northern Namib is called the Skeleton Coast, an
intensely mysterious, inhospitable area of
treacherous rocks and sand banks, dry gravel plains
and isolated, flat-topped mountains. The bleak
wilderness is especially eerie when blanketed in the
thick coastal fog that is brought about by the
collision of cold sea air with the searing heat of
the harsh interior. Sailors washed ashore from
shipwrecks over the centuries soon became the
skeletons that the coastline was named after, having
no chance of survival in the pitiless wastes of the
Namib Desert. Its appeal lies in the untouched
quality, the colours and changing moods of the vast
landscape, and the incredible adaptations to the
desert habitat of its flora
Walvis Bay, Namibia's
adventure city, offers exceptional outdoor
recreation.
Unique experiences, gained at this location, are for
those who have a sense of adventure or wish to
witness the quiet of the ancient and awesome desert.
This unique diverse location caters for a lifetime
experience in its striking contrasts between the hot
Namib and the cool Atlantic Ocean.
Friendliness and cleanliness are very evident
Walvis Bay , Namibia
Although Walvis Bay had already been discovered by
Diaz as early as 1487, it was only founded in 1793
by the Cape Dutch. Two years later it was annexed by
the British. In 1910, Walvis Bay became - like the
entire Cape Colony - part of the South African
Union. After Namibia's independence, the only deep
sea harbour on the Namibian coast remained under
South African rule and only in 1994, did the former
South African president F.W. de Klerk agree to
return it to Namibia.
Today, Walvis Bay has about 50 000 citizens and
seems to be quite a busy town. Most people are
employed at the modern harbour terminal and in the
booming fish industry. Another production branch is
the processing of sea salt. The salt fields of
Walvis Bay cover an area of 3500 hectares and
annually produce 400 000 tons of high quality salt.
The
special attraction of Walvis Bay is the huge natural
lagoon
with its overwhelming abundance of seabirds. 120.000
birds were counted lately in the lagoon, innumerable
flamingoes and pelicans among them. Every year they
are joined by 200,000 migratory birds.
Also
worth seeing in Walvis Bay, is the local
museum
in the Civic Centre, the
Birdlife Information Centre
and the wooden Rhenish
mission church
established in 1880. "Dune
7"
at the outskirts of town is the highest sand dune in
the area and once you have climbed to the top, you
can enjoy a stunning view. The town has numerous
good restaurants, cafes and bars as well as
comfortable hotels and guest houses on offer.
 A
unique experience is the adventurous 48 km drive to
Sandwich Harbour,
a freshwater lagoon surrounded by dunes, and a
favourite amongst anglers and ornithologists.
For this drive, a 4x4 is indispensable. In parts,
the course of the road is difficult to identify, and
long stretches lead through deep soft sand. The last
stretch has to be done by foot.
Walvis Bay lies some 30 kilometres south of
Swakopmund. One can get 4x4 vehicles for rent
locally.
Further information, travel hints and accommodation
please find on the
Tourist Info
page.
Other locations in the
Walvis Bay Coast region
Safaris in Namibia
Swakopmund , Namibia
With palm-lined streets,
seaside promenades and fine
accommodation for all
budgets, Swakopmund is
Namibia’s most popular
holiday destination, and its
pleasant summer climate and
decent beaches attract
surfers, anglers and beach
lovers from al over Southern
Africa.
Thanks to its mild
temperatures and negligible
rainfall, Swakopmund
generally enjoys grit in the
oyster. When an easterly
wind blows, the town gets a
good sand-blasting, and
almost perpetual drizzle.
The fog rolls up to 30km
inland and provides moisture
for desert-dwelling plants
and animals, including 80
species of lichen.
For better or worse,
Swakopmund feels
overwhelmingly Teutonic –
indeed, it has Germany – but
for visitors, it’s a
Namibia’s adrenalin capital,
and offers a wide range of
gut-curdling activities from
sand boarding and
quad-biking to skydiving and
camel riding. Note, however,
that it gets especially busy
around Namibian school
holidays in December and
January, when temperatures
average around 25ºC.
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