About The Area

Swakopmund is a city on the Atlantic coast of north western Namibia, 365 km west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. Swakopmund is a beach resort and an excellently preserved example of German colonial architecture. It was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa. It is one of the few places anywhere outside of Europe where a sizable minority of the population speaks German and has German roots. Attractions in Swakopmund include a transport museum, the National Marine Aquarium, a crystal gallery and spectacular sand dunes near Langstrand south of the Swakop River. Outside of the city, the Rossmund Desert Golf Course is one of only five all-grass desert golf courses in the world. The city is also known for extreme sports. Nearby lies a camel farm and the Martin Luther steam locomotive, dating from 1896 and abandoned in the desert. Surrounded by the Namib Desert on three sides and the cold Atlantic waters to the west, Swakopmund enjoys a temperate climate. The average temperature ranges between 15°C to 25°C. Rainfall is less than 15 mm per year, making gutters and drainpipes on buildings a rarity.