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Adventure Activities in Swakopmund

With a decidedly German look and feel due to its colonial architecture, Swakopmund is Namibia’s most popular holiday destination, and its pleasant summer climate and decent beaches attract surfers, anglers and beach lovers from all over Southern Africa.

The town is surrounded by the Namib Desert on three sides and the cold Atlantic ocean to the west. Swakopmund enjoys a temperate climate and the average temperature ranges between 15°C (59°F) to 25°C (77°F) throughout the year. Rainfall is less than 15 mm per year, making gutters and drainpipes on buildings a rarity. The cold Benguela current supplies moisture for the area in the form of fog that can reach as deep as 140 km (87 mi) inland. The fauna and flora of the area have adapted to this phenomenon and now rely upon the fog as a source of moisture.

adventure-activities

Image courtesy of Dubrovnik

Swakopmund is Namibia’s adrenalin capital, and offers a wide range of African adventure activities:

  • Quad biking – Professional guides will lead you toward the dune belt. The beginning of the trip is easier riding that gives you time to get used to the bikes. Then starts the exhilarating passage through the dunes towards the western side. The stark and savage beauty of the dune belt is captured in the 2 hour trip on our way to the ‘Sunset Dune’. The view over the Atlantic Ocean is stunning and offers  spectacular photo opportunities.
  • Sandboarding – Stand-up and lie-down sand boarding the African way is something of a must in Swakopmund. Speeds of up to 80km/hr can be reached! All necessary equipment is provided.
  • Skydiving – Once in the plane you will enjoy a 30 minute scenic flight. After exiting the plane at 10,000 feet, you will experience a 30-35 second free-fall at 220km/hr before the parachute is deployed. Another 5-8 minute glide follows whilst  descending to a tiptoe landing at the departure point.
  • The Living Desert Tour – Top rated by many visitors. A unique 4×4 adventure drive through the dunes outside Swakopmund, Namibia. Just the drive in the dunes is an amazing experience, but you will be shown a lot more than sand. The tour takes you from the vegetated, life-rich eastern side of the dunes, right through the dunes to the Atlantic Ocean on the western side of the dune belt. Find out how the area’s plants and small animals survive the harsh climate, and how they obtain water for life. You will also track a FitzSimon’s Burrowing Skink across the dune face, in hopes of catching this legless lizard. At the end of the tour, weather permitting, you will experience a ‘roaring’ dune.
  • Welwitschia Moon landscape Tour – Explore the rocky granite valley, known as ‘The Moon Valley’, approximately 30km east of Swakopmund. This amazing landscape was carved out by the Swakop River over time and offers vast ever-changing landscapes.  Witness all the different features of interest including the desert adapted plants and any small creatures to be found along the way.

Or simply pop into one of the many restaurants, cafes or bars and enjoy some truly unique Namibian and German food.

About huntley@escape4africa.com

on April 16, 2013
Filed under  Africa Blog • What to do 
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