NAMIBIA: COASTAL AREA

Although feared by early mariners, the central Namib coast has long been a popular destination with Namibians and visitors. Swakopmund, the country’s premier holiday resort, is characterized by a wealth of well-preserved German colonial buildings. Street names serve as reminders of former colonial rules and administrators, while German is still widely spoken. Typical German cakes and confectionery can be enjoyed in the town’s cafes, while the shops are stocked with a mouth-watering selection of cold meats. Well-known historic buildings include Woerman House, the old State Railway Station, Alte Kaserne (old fort) and the old Magistrate’s Court which now serves as State House in Swakopmund.

Sandwiched between the dunes of the Namib Desert, the ocean and an extensive lagoon, Walvis Bay is Namibia’s major port, the centre of the country’s fishing industry and a rapidly developing tourist destination.

The Walvis Bay wetlands are internationally renowned for large concentrations of waders, flamingos and shore birds, while the southwesterly winds create ideal conditions for boardsailing and other watersports on the lagoon. The coastal dunes offer a variety of adventurous activities such as sandboarding, parasailing and quad biking.

At Sandwich Harbour, some 40 km south of Walvis Bay, the dunes sweep down to a pristine lagoon (which once served as a harbour) to create spectacular coastal scenery. Sandwich also ranks as one of the most important coastal wetlands in Africa. It is accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle only and is open to day visitors.

Inland of the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay lies the Namib section of the Namib Naukluft Park with its gravel plains, fascination Moonlandscape, the rugged Kuiseb Canyon and one of the world’s botanical curiosities, the Welwitschia Mirabilis.

The National West Coast Recreation Area attracts thousands of hopeful anglers each year to angling spots with quaint names like Sarah se Gat (Sarah’s Hole), Bennie se Rooi Lorrie (Bennie’s Red Truck) and Jakkalsputz (Jackal’s Well). Cape Cross is not only home to the largest Cape Fur Seal colony along the Namibian coast, but is also of historic interest. It marks the spot where the first European, the Portuguese navigator Diego Cao, set foot on the coast of Southwest Africa in 1486.

Further inland, Spitzkoppe rises abruptly above the arid and sparsely vegetated plains of the Namib. Also known as the “Matterhorn of Namibia”, the granite outcrop is a typical example of an inselberg (‘island mountain’). With rock walls of up to 600m high, the Spitzkoppe is the country’s top rock climbing destination.

The Brandberg is not only the highest mountain in Namibia (the summit of the highest peak, Königstein, is 2 574m above sea level), but is also Africa’s largest open-air art gallery. The most famous of its more than 44 000 rock paintings is the so-called White Lady frieze in the Tsisab Ravine. Although the central figure is no longer considered to be a white female, the name White Lady has persisted. A popular backpacking area, the Brandberg is best ascended by hiring a guide as there are no clearly demarcated routes.

Also of interest are the Erongo Mountains, north of Usakos. The caves and overhangs in the mountains and valleys contain a wealth of rock paintings, among them the famous “White Elephant” painting in Phillip’s Cave at Ameib Ranch.