Swakopmund

Swakopmund is Namibia playground, a Namibia beach holiday destination for tourists and locals alike looking to escape the heat of the interior and to have a little adventure.

Swakopmund is Namibia playground, a Namibia beach holiday destination for tourists and locals alike looking to escape the heat of the interior and to have a little adventure.

The city itself resembles a small German town and manages to create a feeling of timelessness with its palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and museums. And while there is plenty to do within city limits, the real action happens in the desert surrounding Swakopmund.

Quad-biking, sand-boarding, sand-skiing, parasailing and dozens of other guided adrenaline inducing activities are available by reservation from many of the adventure companies operating in the area. At Walvis Bay, visitors can join a dolphin cruise or explore the lagoon on a kayak tour.

Even with all this excitement Swakopmund serves as a good break during a busy vacation. Relax and have fun in a place well suited for both.

Palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, fine accommodation, a pleasant summer climate and decent beaches. Welcome to Swakopmund – Namibia’s premier holiday resort!

During the summer holidays and long weekends, thousands of Namibians flock to the coast, and this human migration happens for a number of reasons;

Swakopmund has a real holiday feel to it and everyone wants to be there; during the December holidays, the cool Namibian coast offers relief from the intense heat of the interior; and more importantly as far as the tourist is concerned in these modern times,

Swakop has changed, and has become the country’s leading adrenaline destination, with a wide range of activities to suit all ages and (most) egos.

The area of Namib Desert around Swakopmund is named the West Coast Recreational Area. And recreation is the towns number one draw card. There are countless pursuits to help you spend your time, and money.

For those interested in adventure activities Swakopmund offers sand boarding, quad biking, dune carting, parachuting, hot air ballooning, shark fishing, deep sea fishing and beach angling to name but a few.

For the more sedentary there are restaurants, cafes, art galleries, museums, a snake park and aquarium.

If danger isn’t your middle name, then the architecture and general feeling of Swakopmund might be more to your liking. This town has the ambiance associated with a small German village, and the town seems to be stuck in time.

Although in recent times the new generation have woken up to the tourist potential of the area, Swakopmund still manages to create a feeling of timelessness.

Tourist Attractions and Things to do in Swakopmund

Swakopmund has a wide range of activities to choose from for those on Namibia safari here, We have listed some activities not to missed below:

Balloon Safaris – Experience the Desert and ocean view from a balloon in the sky includes Champagne Breakfast

Seal and Dolphin Cruises – Tour includes a trip to see some Dolphins, Namibia’s famed Seal Colony and if you’re lucky few wales

Sand Boarding and Quad Biking – Looking for something bit more extreme? How about taking a 5 Min training and surfing the dunes or taking a Quad bike with the group and riding in the oldest desert in the world

Sky Diving – Africa’s premier Drop zone

Town and Cultural Tours – Take a tour through the History of Swakopmund and the Rural Areas

The Kristall Gallerie – Larges Crystals in the world

The Swakopmund Museum – Holds a lot of Swakopmund history and the story behind Swakop

The Woermann Haus Tower – In the heart of Swakopmund lays the Woermann Haus Tower with Internet café, information centre, Library and Art Gallery

National Marine Aquarium of Namibia – Experience Southern African Sea Life

Living Desert Snake Park – Many of Namibia’s native snake species and other reptiles can be viewed

Buildings and monuments of note in Swakopmund include the Hohenzollern Building, the Marine memorial, the War memorial in memory of those killed in World War 2, Princess Rupprecht House originally a military hospital now a private guest house.

The Kaserne buildings originally served as a barracks and is of a similar design to the Alte Feste in Windhoek and Fort Namutoni in Etosha. The old Swakopmund Prison is still fully operational and provides budget accommodation for the criminal fraternity of the Namibian coast.

The Swakopmund Railway station was completed in 1901 and now houses the Swakopmund Hotel, while the bells of the Deutsche Evangelical Church were imported from Germany.

Standing close to the State House (Kaiserliches Bezirksgericht) is the Swakop Lighthouse at just over 20 meters it has been functional since 1902.

For day trippers a visit to the Cape Cross Seal Colony is worth a visit as it offers a taste of the Skeleton Coast and the seals are worth a visit.

The Welwitschia drive is an interesting way to spend a few hours and introduces you to some of the fauna and flora of the Namib Desert. Bird lovers can pay a visit to the Swakopmund Salt Works or the Walvis Bay Lagoon, which in season is frequented by thousands of flamingos.

The main beach area is called the Mole, and is the result of a largely unsuccessful attempt to construct the artificial harbour (as South Africa owned the only natural harbor in the area at Walvis Bay).

The towns most iconic symbol is the Swakopmund jetty, initially used as mooring for ships it later became a popular are for anglers and walkers, it has fallen into disrepair on numerous occasions and has been subject to several attempts to rescue it from complete dereliction.

Recently large scale work has been completed on the jetty which now proudly boasts a small restaurant and bar area.

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