In short
Swakopmund is a German town set between the Namib desert and the Atlantic. Founded in 1892 as the port of German South West Africa, it has kept its half-timbered façades, its street names and its pastry shops — in a setting of dunes.
The town is small, orderly and walkable. Walvis Bay, some thirty kilometres south, is the region's real port.
Arriving and getting around
Windhoek is about four hours east by road; the link is good. The local airfield takes domestic flights.
A car is necessary for the desert and the coast. Namibian tracks are wide and gravelled: a suitable vehicle and careful driving are the rule, punctures being frequent.
What it really costs
Namibia is more affordable than South Africa for accommodation, and Swakopmund offers a wide range.
The activities — quad biking, sandboarding, boat trips, desert flights — make up most of the budget.
When to come
All year, with nuances. The interior is scorching in the southern summer (December–February) while the coast stays cool.
The cold Benguela current runs up this coast: it is markedly cooler here than you would imagine for southern Africa, with frequent morning fog and freezing water. Swimming is an ordeal.
What nobody tells you
The desert meets the ocean here, and that meeting is the landscape. At Sandwich Harbour, south of Walvis Bay, dunes several hundred metres high fall straight into the Atlantic. Access is only by 4×4 with a licensed operator, and depends on the tides.
Walvis Bay hosts thousands of flamingos in its lagoon, and a seal colony at Cape Cross, further north — one of the largest in the world, recognisable by its smell long before you see it.
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, the red dunes and dead trees photographed everywhere, are four or five hours away by road: a multi-day excursion, not a day trip.
The Skeleton Coast, to the north, takes its name from the wrecks and whale bones washed ashore; access to the northern zones is regulated by permit.