Swakopmund Namibia Safaris

NAMBIA SAFARIS AND SWAKOPMUND:

Swakopmund was founded in 1892 by Captain Curt Von Francios as the main harbour for German South West Africa. Since then, this area has become a popular Namibia safari ‘stop off’ as well as a popular holiday resort destination. Swakopmund is located in the north-western area of Namibia, about 280km west of Windhoek.

The name Swakopmund is derived from the German language meaning ‘mouth of water’. The Nama people previously named this area Tsoakhaub which described the overflow and flooding of the Swakop River. The name was then changed to Swachaub by German settlers with the proclamation of Swakopmund as an independent district of German South West Africa in 1896.

There are some fascinating architectural buildings in Swakopmund, such as; the Altes Gefangnis Prison designed by Heinrich Bause and dating back to 1909;  the Wormannhaus, built in 1906, once a famous tower (it is now a public library). Other interesting Swakopmund attractions are the crystal gallery and the national marine aquarium… there is even a golf course and a camel farm nearby!

There are loads of fun activities in Swakopmund, such as; sand boarding, quad biking, fishing, beach angling, diving and hot air ballooning. Most of our Namibia safaris stop over in Swakopmund, giving you some time to explore this seaside resort. Other highlights not to miss are; the Welwitshia plants, Cape fur seals at Cape Cross and bird watching by the Swakop River (rare birds are found by the water lagoon!).

Swakopmund is a seaside resort area with the summer months (December and January) being cooler than other parts of Namibia and is surrounded by the Namib Desert (known as the West Coast Recreational Area) on all sides except on the side of the cold Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures range between 15’C and 30’C with little rainfall. The area receives a lot of dense fog which can cover an area of up to 140km inland! The animal and plant life has adapted to this fog and now rely on it for a source of moisture and water.

Have a look at our Namibia safaris that pass through Swakopmund. Find other Namibian attractions below that you might want to visit on your Namibia Safari.

• Etosha National Park
• Namib-Naukluft
• Mudumo National Park
• Caprivi Strip
• Fish River Canyon
• Kalahari Namibia
• Skeleton Coast
• Susuwe Triangle
• Waterberg Plateau Park
• Ruacana Falls and Epupa Falls
• Sossusvlei
• Damaraland
• Spitzkoppe
• Mahango National Park
• Twyfelfontein
• Windhoek
• Namibia Wildlife Resorts
• Brandberg
• Namibia Animals