Site under active build — practical info (fees, hours) researched from public sources, confirm before travel.

Skeleton Coast

The world's oldest desert running straight into the cold Atlantic — shipwrecks half-buried in sand, seal colonies, and dune fields that fall directly into the surf.

Practical info

Planning your visit

Permit cost

Roughly N$60 per person plus N$10 per vehicle per day for a day permit. A transit permit to pass straight through in one day is free. Overnight stays cost more — confirm current rates at the entry gate.

Day-visitor hours

Day visitors are only permitted in the park between sunrise and sunset. Permits are issued at the two entry gates — plan your route so you're not caught inside after dark without an overnight booking.

Best time to visit

May–October (dry season) brings cooler, easier travel conditions. October–March offers warmer nights and often clearer mornings, if you don't mind more heat during the day.

Getting there

Most visits start from Swakopmund or Walvis Bay, heading north along the coast road — Cape Cross and the seal colony make a natural first stop before the park proper.

What to see

Where sand meets sea

Cape Cross Seal Colony

One of the largest Cape fur seal colonies in the world — tens of thousands of animals on a single stretch of shore.

Sandwich Harbour

A lagoon reachable only by 4x4 at low tide, where towering dunes drop straight into the ocean. Flamingos and pelicans throughout.

Shipwrecks

Decades of fog and rough seas have wrecked dozens of vessels along this coast — several remain visible, half-buried in the sand.

The real desert-meets-sea itinerary

Cape Cross, Sandwich Harbour, and the Skeleton Coast proper — 5 real days, real pricing.

View the 5-Day Itinerary