Along the Swakopmund road, 10km north of Walvis Bay, take a look at the offshore wooden platform known as Bird Island. It was built to provide a roost and nesting site for seabirds and a source of guano for use as fertiliser. The annual yield is around 1000 tonnes, and the smell from the island is truly unforgettable.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.04 MILES
In 1905 the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund’s founders to construct the original wooden pier. In the years that followed,…
12.76 MILES
This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is…
11.76 MILES
Southwest of the lagoon is this 3500-hectare salt-pan complex, which currently supplies over 90% of South Africa's salt. As with the one in Swakopmund,…
24.2 MILES
If you're on a quest to see welwitschias, continue east along the Welwitschia Drive to the Moon Landscape, a vista across eroded hills and valleys carved…
13.48 MILES
This ornate railway station, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund to…
13.37 MILES
When ill winds blow, head for this museum at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town's history. The museum occupies the…
6.28 MILES
During the winter, rail services between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are often plagued by windblown sand, which covers the tracks and undermines the…
13.1 MILES
From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings. Built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua…
Nearby Walvis Bay attractions
6.23 MILES
The shallow and sheltered 45,000-hectare lagoon, southwest of town and west of the Kuiseb River mouth, attracts a range of coastal water birds and…
6.25 MILES
With permission from the public-relations officer of the Portnet or from the Railway Police – beside the train station near the end of 13th Rd – you can…
6.28 MILES
During the winter, rail services between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are often plagued by windblown sand, which covers the tracks and undermines the…
6.44 MILES
The town museum is located in the library. It concentrates on the history and maritime background of Walvis Bay, but also has archaeological exhibits, a…
6.49 MILES
Immediately east of town at the municipal sewage-purification works is this nature sanctuary, which consists of a series of shallow artificial pools,…
6.9 MILES
In the bleak expanse just off the C14, 6km by road from town, Dune 7 is popular with locals as a slope for sandboarding and skiing. The picnic site, which…
7.16 MILES
Walvis Bay’s oldest remaining building, the Rhenish Mission Church was prefabricated in Hamburg, Germany, reconstructed beside the harbour in 1880 and…