Swakopmund Town Tour
including Dune 7
​

Swakopmund is a small town on the coast of Namibia, but it is considered the second largest in the country. It is also considered as Namibia's adventure capital and boasts  many adventure and extreme sports facilities.

​

In  1889 Captain Kurt Von Francois along with a small contingent of Schutztruppe landed at Sandwich Harbour (approx 100km south of Swakopmund) and brought with them several camels to service the country.

​

They journeyed north and scouted the area around the mouth of the Swakop River and submitted a encouraging report to the German authorities.

​

In 1892 Kurt Von Francois anchored ship in the mouth of the Swakop River and together with his landing party they erected two beacons. One was positioned where the Mole is presently and the second beacon was placed on a high dune, most probably where the lighthouse is situated presently. These beacons marked the place where the new town was to be built.

​

​

The Tour

​

This tour is a perfect blend of remarkable history, architecture, culture and natural beauty as you are taken through the streets of Swakopmund and then onto Dune 7 near Walvis Bay to climb the highest dune in the area. This is an ideal shore excursion for those travellers with limited time in Port because this tour explores the main interests in both Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

​

What to Expect

Your day starts when we collect you from the Port of Walvis Bay where you will receive a short introduction and briefing from your guide.

Thereafter we start our journey towards Swakopmund.

Situated 30km north of Walvis Bay, we travel on the coastal road for approx 30minutes. On the way there you will see the stark contrasts of the massive dunes and the Atlantic ocean.  

​

As we approach Swakopmund you really get the feel of the towns adventurous personality with various adventure sports facilities and tour operators in the area.

​

Our first stop is at the Martin Luther Road Locomotive, a steam driven tractor engine that has been abandoned in the Namib desert outside of the town. The Road Locomotive was brought to German South-West Africa in early 1896  to use for freight services between Swakopmund and the interior of the country, in place of oxen. The locomotive weighs 14 metric tonnes and due to various setbacks and breakdowns, eventually came to a complete halt and was abadoned where it is at present.

​

From here we travel to the Kristalle Gallerie where you will be amazed by all the semi-precious stones and gems that have been mined from this area. You also have the opprtunity to purchase some of these unique gemstones.

​

Next we head over to the German Marine Memorial and Lighouse.

Also known as the Marine Denkmal, this memorial was commissioned in 1907 by the Marine Infantry in Kriel, Germany and designed by sculptor AM Wolff. It commemorates the German First Marine Expidition Corps that helped beat back the Herero uprising of 1904. 

The Swakopmund Lighthouse was opened on July 1902, it is 21 years older than the Lighthouse at Pelican Point Peninsula in Walvis Bay. The lighthouse is still in operation and guides ships with its light seen as far as 35 nautical miles away.

Here we also have the opprotinity to visit a local market, selling a variety of hand made crafts.

​

From the Lighthouse we travel south to the 1905 Jetty. With the silting up of the harbour near the Mole, it was decided that a wooden landing jetty should be constructed for the purpose of off-loading the boats and rafts. On 25 October 1904 a team of sixty german engineers landed at Swakopmund with materials to build the jetty. It was a difficult taks that the engineers faced, fighting with strong currents of the Atlantic as well as the race against time as the Mole started silting up with sand, however, they pushed through and met their deadline and the Jetty was commissioned on 25 April 1905. It was 275meters long and 9 meters wide. In 1912 it was deided that a steel jetty is necessary and work soon began to build it.

Today it also has a lovely restaurant that provides delicious food and a spectacular view over the Atlantic Ocean.

​

​

And this brings our tour to conclusion.

We will then take you back to Port or to your accomodation.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​