The Skeleton Coast

The uncompromising beauty of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is reason enough for travelers to Namibia to make the detour from Windhoek or Etosha National Park.

Stretching from the German-style architecture of Swakopmund north to Namibia’s boarder with Angola, The Skeleton Coast is named for the fierce offshore currents which have driven many ships onto its untouched beaches, leaving them to slowly degrade into skeletal forms over time.

The region isn’t short of miraculous survival stories, though access by road and light aircraft, as well as some of the finest luxury lodges in the wider region, mean no such tales will result from visiting The Skeleton Coast today.

Beyond its shipwrecks, of which there are many to explore and photograph, tours of The Skeleton Coast focus on the natural. The dry Ugab riverbed is well-known for its unique naturally-shaped rock formations, alongside those of the Hoarusib Canyon.

The Skeleton Coast’s dry riverbeds are also the place to head in search of desert-adapted species from elephant and giraffe to lions and hyena. Although they can’t compete in size, jackal are another regular sighting, especially on the Cape Fria headland between November and January, when they dart among the calving females and battling males of its Cape fur seal colony.

Elsewhere, The Skeleton Coast’s sands provide an unexpected habitat for a number of plant species, including the stone-like lithops, while the dunes provide the chance to go off-road on a quad bike or try your hand at sandboarding.


Namibia Travel Guide

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Top Namibia Travel Destinations

Damaraland / Etosha National Park / Fish River Canyon / Namib-Naukluft Park / The Zambezi Region / Windhoek

The Big Five

African Elephant / Cape Buffalo / Leopard / Lion / Rhino

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