West Coast shipwrecks
Namibia

Accommodation Namibia - Western & Coastal Region

The Shipwrecks of the Skeleton Coast of Namibia
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the coast of Namibia, south of the Kunene River to the Swakop River. It is also often used to describe the entire Namib Desert coastline.

The Skeleton Coast is associated with shipwrecks, and stories of sailors walking through the desert in search of food and water. The name is derived from the bones that lined the beaches as a result of whaling operations and seal hunts. A few of the skeletons were human.

The blinding fog typical of this coast results in ships running aground or wrecking on the off-shore rocks. The coast is littered with scores of shipwrecks, some are barely recognizable, other are still in remarkably good condition.

Portuguese seafarers called this wilderness of white sand ‘the coast of hell’. Later it became better known as the Skeleton Coast, because of the dismal fate of castaways from ships that were wrecked here through the centuries, doomed to endure searing heat, clammy mists, total solitude and little drinking water or shelter.

See a full list of Namibian coast shipwrecks.

Related Maps Accommodation in the area Activities in the area

Swakopmund day tours

Hotels Pensions B&Bs Lodges Camping & others
Walvis Bay General map Eberwein Hotel Secret Garden Dunedin Star Guest House Beach Lodge Alte Brücke Resort Car rental
Mola-Mola dolphin cruises
Guano  Map Hansa Hotel Taro's Dunes Travel Stop Brigadoon Cottages DeoVilla Accommodation Desert Express
Photo galleries Regions Hotel Europa Hof - Haus Garnison Gut Richthofen Jan Jonker Holiday Apartment Activities at the coast
First railway lines - Hotel Garni Adler - House Veronica Rossmund Lodge Meike's Guest House Living Desert Adventures
Horse graves - Hotel Grüner Kranz - Indongo Guest House Tern Inn Cornerstone Guest House Dune 7 Sandboarding
Desert Express - Beach Hotel - Intermezzo Guest House The Stiltz Orange House Fishing tours
Regimental badges - Pension D'Avignon - Municipal Camp Sea Horse Flats Villa Wiese Hot air balloon trips
Woermann House - Schweitzerhaus - Boutique Hotel Pension A La Mer Strauss Holiday Flats Kayak tours/Sun Sail Charters
Swakopmund Museum - Sam's Giardino - Charlotte's Guest Home Desert Breeze Lodge Vogelstrand Guest House Sandboarding
Swakopmund Aquarium - Seaside Hotel - The Boat House B&B Sandcastle Apartments Goanikontes Oasis Scenic Air/Sky diving
Kristall Galerie - Swakopmund Hotel - Sea Breeze Windpomp 14 Camp Gecko Ridge Guest House Quad bike tours

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