Visit Swakopmund

Things to see and do in Swakopmund, Namibia

Swakopmund is high on the list of everyone's Namibia itinerary and with good reason. The list of things to do in Swakopmund is astonishing and would take days to work through. Some of the activities are natural and others are manufactured by hair-brained adrenalin junkies.

Whatever your preference, Swakopmund has enough activities to keep you busy.

Cornerstone Guesthouse is not just a comfortable and convenient bed and breakfast hotel alternative; it's your relaxed base camp from which you can explore and discover the Skeleton Coast and we will help arrange your time in this beautiful part of the world.

Some of our most recommended activities in and around Swakopmund include:

Marine cruise in Walvis Bay Lagoon (Walvis Bay) On a large catamaran or motorboat, the bay is calm and the waters full of life. This half day trip gives you close contact with seals, dolphins, birds and, if you're very lucky, sightings of whales and a strange creature called a mola mola. The cruises finish with a champagne finger brunch and fresh Walvis Bay oysters on board.

Living Desert Tour (Swakopmund) A fascinating guided excursion into the world's oldest desert is a must for any nature lover. Discover the minutiae of life in the seemingly barren wilderness including the odd Welwitschia plant and other bizarre desert-adapted lifeforms; eerie Marsian landscapes and sensuous dunescapes offer a fitting backdrop.

Quad Biking (Swakopmund or Long Beach) A very popular option with families, a guided quad bike trail through the dunes is fun, interesting and safe. The tours follow strict ecological guidelines to protect the fragile ecosystem and maintain the unspoilt beauty of the Skeleton Coast.

Sandwich Harbour Excursion (Walvis Bay) A wetlands birding heritage site, this guided tour takes you to the almost inaccessible Sandwich Harbour south of Walvis Bay.

Birdwatching (Walvis Bay) Take your binos and your checklist, the Walvis Bay Lagoon, along with Sandwich Harbour, is a RAMSAR wetlands site crammed with flamingoes, plovers, grebes, terns, oystercatchers, gulls and many other migrants and residents.

Kayaking Tours (Walvis Bay) A gentle and peaceful way to explore the lagoon. Seals and dolphins always come and visit and you get much closer than the marine cruises (no oysters or champagne though!).

Scenic Flights and Ballooning (Swakopmund or Walvis Bay) Spectacular scenery as you fly over the dunes, wrecks and shoreline of the Skeleton Coast.

Adventure Sports (Swakopmund) - sky-diving, land yachting, karting, paragliding, sand-boarding, deep sea and shore fishing, surfing, kiting...

"Normal Sports" (Swakopmund) - golf (all-grass desert 18-hole course), gym, horseriding, tennis, squash, bowls...

Tourist Attractions (Swakopmund) - Galleries, museums, aquarium, craft markets, curio shops, antiques, jewellers and souvenirs

Dining and Entertainment - Swakopmund has a large selection of coffee shops and restaurants specialising in seafood, game and meat, German fare and international standards. The town also sees a regular parade of music shows and stage productions and the German carnival is an annual extravaganza that transforms the town every June into a Bavarian film set.