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My Personal Guide
 city / town

Swakopmund and
by Elisen

around

calling code
064 Surrounded on three sides by the arid Namib Desert and on the west side by
the cold waters of the South Atlantic, Swakopmund is surely one of the most
unusual and fascinating colonial towns in the whole of Africa. In a period of a
little more than 25 years the German Imperial Government built a succession
of extravagant buildings, which today represent one of the best-preserved
collections of German colonial architecture still standing. When approached
from the desert, especially during the morning fog, the turrets, towers and
pastel-coloured buildings on the skyline appear as a hazy mirage, and the
quirky town comes as quite as surprise on the barren coastline.

Today, because of its olde-worlde charm and relaxed atmosphere,

Swakopmund is Namibia’s premier holiday resort, with a steady flow of
visitors all year round, culminating in December and January when thousands
descend from the hot interior to enjoy the temperate climate of the coast.
Increasingly, it’s attracting international visitors and probably got its biggest
ever dose of worldwide publicity in 2006 when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
chose the town to have their baby Shiloh. There are lots of things to do, a wide
choice of hotels, guesthouses and pensions, and several good restaurants
and coffee shops…

by Footprint

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Highlights
Swakopmund
Eating
voted for by the tripwolf community
and around

The Tug Strand St, by the iron jetty

restaurant
Out of Africa Daniel Tjongarero Av
restaurant
Napolitana Pizzeria Nathanael Maxilili St
restaurant
Café Anton 1 Bismarck St
restaurant
The Raft Esplanade
restaurant

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 Essentials
The travel info for Swakopmund and around
getting there
Authors
Ins and outs Getting there Swakopmund, the principal town on the coast,
Footprint
features on just about every itinerary of a trip to Namibia, so if you are
Content provided by on an organized tour, at least a couple of days in town will be included. It
FootPrint is easily reached from Windhoek along the tarred B2 via Okahandja. This
route, which can be covered in half a day, is well served by the regional
towns of the Hinterland with plenty of shops and petrol stations along the
way. However, there are more scenic approaches from the interior to the
coast on the gravel roads. From Windhoek the C28 goes to Swakopmund
through part of the Namib-Naukluft Park, and this is a very scenic drive though
you will require a permit for part of it. Another route that goes through the
park is the C26 and then the C14 from Windhoek to Walvis Bay, 30 km to
the south of Swakopmund; this route goes over the Gamsberg and Kuiseb
passes and again offers a wonderfully scenic drive. Intercape Mainliner and
Town Hoppers buses run a daily service from Windhoek to Swakopmund,
Air Namibia has flights between Windhoek and nearby Walvis Bay, and there
is also the option of taking the luxury (expensive) Desert Express train from
the capital to the coast. Tourist information The Ministry of Environment
and Tourism (MET) (Bismarck St (upstairs from NWR), T064- 404576,
www.met.gov.na, permits can be obtained Mon-Fri 0800-1500, Sat and Sun
0900-1200, though the service is erratic at weekends when the staff may
decide not to come in) is the place to get permits for the Welwitschia Plains
drive if you are driving independently and not on a tour. Most other permits are
available at the gates of the parks. The exception is the Kolmonskop Ghost
Town near Lüderitz in the south, which can be obtained once in Lüderitz. The
desert is well patrolled by MET staff, make sure you observe all the regulations
and respect the fragility of the local environment. Do not litter (that includes
cigarette butts). There is no excuse for not having a permit. If you are caught
without a permit the fine is US$65 per vehicle.
dangers & safety
Safety On the whole Swakopmund is fairly safe, though, like Windhoek,
tourists have been targeted by muggers and robbers in the past. Make use of
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hotel safes and try to avoid carrying valuables around. At night always take a
taxi or walk home in a large group. Ensure that room windows are locked at
night, especially in self-catering accommodation that is known to be let out to
tourists. Always lock your car and do not leave any valuables on show. Make
use of the car guards in the street who usually wear yellow work vests and an
ID badge. They’ll watch your car and when you return to it, a N$2 tip is about
right (more at night and if you leave your car for a lengthy period of time). Since
the car guards were put in place, theft from vehicles in the town is reported to
have been reduced by 90% (the system also provides well-needed jobs). Try
and ensure that your accommodation has secure off-street parking.
best time to go
Best time to visit Although the town lies in a true arid desert, the cold Benguela Authors
Current that flows from south to north along the coast acts as a moderating Footprint
influence. The climate on the coast is temperate, with temperatures of
Content provided
15-25°C. The sea temperature is 14-18°C, too cold for swimming for any
by
period without a wet suit. Swakopmund receives less than 15 mm of rain
FootPrint
per year as the rain clouds have to travel all the way over Africa from the
Indian Ocean. As you walk about the town note how most buildings have
no gutters or drain pipes; on the rare occasion the town gets a lot of rain it
floods. The only moisture comes in the form of a sea mist that can reach up
to 50 km inland . Swakopmund is fairly quiet at the weekends. Except for the
large supermarkets and tourist shops, other businesses close from 1300 on
Saturday until Monday morning and most restaurants are closed on Sunday
nights.
getting around
Getting around Swakopmund is entirely negotiable by foot, although at night
it is advisable to catch a taxi back to your hotel even over short distances .
The town is dissected neatly in a grid pattern and signposts are clear. The
main road that runs from east to the coast on the west and is the extension
of the B2 is Sam Nujoma Avenue (formerly known as Kaiser Wilhelm Street).
Many streets in Swakopmund and Windhoek have undergone a chance of
name in order to reflect contemporary figures in Namibia’s history rather than
colonial ones. To reach the outlying regions of Swakopmund, you need to be
on a tour or have a car. All the operators provide pick-ups in town (eg to the
Swakopmund Airport for skydiving), which are almost always included in the
price.
background
Background “The municipality since 1909 has made every effort to create an
up-to-date township. The water supply is the best in the whole Protectorate
and shortage is never felt in the town. There is an Electric Power Station,
Ice and Mineral Waters Factories, a first class Hospital and Nursing Home,
Public Library, German, Dutch and English Churches, High-class Schools
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 and Hostels and a lot of Corporations and Clubs” (Swakopmund Publicity Beach between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. To the north of Swakopmund
Association, 1924-1925). This is how the town proudly promoted itself during the former bleak campsite at Mile 4 is long gone and the region is now part
the inter- war years, yet 30 years earlier no more than 30 Europeans lived of the built-up area of the town. Building (mostly apartments) is going on
in the newly established town. As a visitor, it is always worth pausing and everywhere: both Namibian Breweries and the Swakopmund Tannery have
questioning why and how the town came to be here. If ever there was a been closed down for new development and to the north of town blasting
town in Africa that owed its origins to colonialism it was Swakopmund. The has started, and rocks are being quarried to build a new marina as part of a
first Europeans to encounter the barren Namibian coastline did not stop; waterfront development that will also include apartments, shops, restaurants
the Portuguese sailors left monuments to mark the points where they had and two hotels, one a five-star establishment. The latter is expected to take
ventured ashore, but there was no attempt made to settle anywhere along another four years to complete.
this section of the Atlantic coast. But when the German protectorate was
proclaimed in 1884 the British had already claimed possession of Walvis
Bay, forcing the Germans to look elsewhere for a suitable coastal port.
Authors While there were other more suitable sites along the coast, the Germans Authors
Footprint selected Swakopmund as the point to develop a future harbour and settlement Footprint
Content provided by because, first, the immediate hinterland was not a mass of sand dunes that Content provided
FootPrint inhibited the inland development of transport routes, and second, a short by
distance up the Swakop River valley there was a fresh water supply. In August FootPrint
1892 the German gunboat, Hyena, landed just north of the Swakop River
and two beacons were raised by the crew to mark their position. At the time
this was one of many possible locations for a port along the coast that the
Germans were looking for. Today history recounts that the landing in 1892
marked the origins of Swakopmund, however, it was a combination of chance
and a tough spirit that saw the establishment and growth of a town at this
point on the coast. The first 40 settlers were landed in 1893 by four boats, but
thereafter they had to fend for themselves. There was no accommodation,
there was nothing; many of these early settlers ended up living in what have
been described as ‘caves’ on the beaches. Today the town can be a grim place
on a misty day, so imagine how it was for the first settlers at the turn of the last
century. Gradually a town developed and people were able to move inland
and establish trading posts and mission stations, but it was the resilience of
the earliest settlers that set the pattern. After the First World War the town fell
into decline as the nearby port of Walvis Bay assumed the role as the main
town on the coast. Many businesses and government offices also moved.
Until the 1970s Swakopmund may have been a forgotten town, but many of
the citizens made their mark. Today it is one of the most unusual and vibrant
communities along the western coast of Africa; what’s more, it has a special
place in German history. Tourism is now an integral part of the local economy,
and many people in the area depend upon the thousands of visitors each
year. During the month of December the population on the coast is said to
double, hotels are full, restaurants require a booking and to the frustration of
local residents there are no parking places in the town centre. In recent years,
Swakopmund has witnessed development on a large scale, and the modern
town is experiencing a building boom that is taking many people by surprise.
Already a number of resorts and holiday homes have been built at Long

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