Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a quirky coastal town where you can enjoy excellent seafood, beach walks, excursions to the wetlands or adrenalin activities galore.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Year-round

Overview

The seaside town of Swakopmund lies between Sossusvlei to the south and Damaraland to the north. This pleasant town on the Atlantic coast has a distinctive continental atmosphere. Its many picturesque reminders of the German colonial era seem deliciously incongruous so close to the Namib Desert! But Swakopmund, with its palm-lined streets, provides a welcome rest from travelling. Here you can stroll along the beach, enjoy some good seafood and visit some quirky museums.

Woermann House in Swakopmund

Woermann House in Swakopmund in Western NamibiaWe recommend at least 2 to 3 nights here so that you can take a rest from driving and dusty roads.  Plus there is plenty to see from boat cruises to canoeing amongst the penguins. And from the eery Moon landscape to the dunes of the Namib. See some of the many excursions below. You can also now take helicopter flights over the Namib Desert to see the dunes from the air.

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Features

Why you may love it

  • Enjoy beach strolls at sunset
  • Great seafood restaurants
  • Explore the Moon valley with its unique welwitschia plants, hundreds of years old
  • Drive up the coast to Cape Cross seal colony
  • Boat cruises in search of whales and dolphins in season
  • Gentle kayaking on Walvis lagoon with its stunning birdlife
  • 4×4 nature drives to Sandwich lagoon to the see the flamingos
  • Swakopmund has also become a centre for adrenalin sports. Choose between sand-boarding, quad-biking or even tandem sky-diving, all of which are open to complete novices

When to visit Swakopmund

December to April

Summer

The west coast of the country, from the Skeleton Coast down to Luderitz have a completely different climatic pattern from the rest of Namibia. Here there is hardly any rain in the summer months! The days are mostly dry and sunny, but on the cool side as the cold sea winds bring down the temperatures. Inland, or on windless days, the temperatures rises. This is considered the best time to visit as it is a little warmer and the morning fog is not as heavy.
AVG MONTHLY RAINFALL 0MM
MAX TEMP 21 ℃ / 70 ℉
MIN TEMP 15 ℃ / 59 ℉

May to September

Winter

The winter season begins with a gradual lowering of temperatures. Mornings continue to be foggy especially at the coast, but the sun burns through the fog to bring sunny blue skies later in the day. These are cooler months with cold nights and days of approx. 18-20C.
AVG MONTHLY RAINFALL 2MM
MAX TEMP 17 ℃ / 63 ℉
MIN TEMP 10 ℃ / 50 ℉

October to mid-December

Transitional season

Curiously day-time temperatures don’t increase as quickly here as elsewhere in Namibia. It continues to be dry and sunny but the continuing morning fog and cold sea winds keep the daytime temperatures down on the coast. However the evening temperatures warm up to 13-14C.
AVG MONTHLY RAINFALL 1MM
MAX TEMP 18 ℃ / 64 ℉
MIN TEMP 13 ℃ / 55 ℉

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Mari Jacobs

Africa Travel Specialist

Hi I'm Mari, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience
Did you know
  • EstablishedFounded in 1892 as the main harbour for the Imperial German colony
  • First EuropeansThe first 160 people had to dig caves into the sand for shelter