Skeleton Coast & Hoanib

A desolate coast where the desert runs straight into the Atlantic. Fly-in camps give access to desert elephants, seal colonies and shipwrecks.

This destination covers the northern Skeleton Coast in Namibia’s northwestern Kunene Region and the Hoanib and Hoarusib river valleys inland, stretching roughly from Terrace Bay north to the Kunene River mouth, and inland as far as Sesfontein and Purros. Here the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic: the coast is shrouded year-round in thick fog from the cold ocean current, and shipwrecks and whale bones lie scattered on the beaches. Dry seasonal rivers cut green corridors through the desert, sustaining desert-adapted elephants, lions, giraffes and oryx. There are two ways to explore. The first is to stay at a fly-in camp in the Hoanib valley (about 2 hours by light aircraft from Windhoek or Swakopmund), where guides drive you to track desert elephants and desert lions, you fly over the coast to see shipwrecks and the Cape Frio seal colony, and you can visit the Mowe Bay research station. The second is a self-drive 4WD trip: from Sesfontein, head north along the Hoanib riverbed and through Purros, camping along the way, with at least two vehicles travelling together. Terrace Bay in the southern section can be reached by self-drive from Swakopmund along the C34 salt road. In the northern section (north of Mowe Bay), self-driving is not permitted in the national park, and access is only by special-permit fly-in expeditions. Best season: May to October, when temperatures are cool and animals gather in the river valleys; the coast is foggy and cool all year. Suggested duration: 3–4 days. Notes: riverbed sections have deep sand and occasional floods in the rainy season, so travel in convoy and carry a satellite phone; desert elephants are sensitive, so keep at least 50 m away; community conservancies such as Purros charge management fees; park gates do not let vehicles through after 3 pm.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries