 |
Home>Namibia>What to see | 
|
|||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||
| Namibia: What to see | |||
| Walvis Bay | |||
>see photographs Overview This is the Namibia's only deepwater port and thus the largest port and is dominated by the fishing industry. Much quieter and less attractive architecturally than Swakopmund most visitors stay in Swakopmund and will make a daytrip to visit Walvis Bay and particularly the spectacular natural lagoon of Sandwich Harbour, which is undoubtedly Namibia's most important wetland. History Discovered by Bartholomew Diaz in 1487, Walvis Bay was only founded in 1793 by the Cape Dutch. Annexed by the British in 1795, with the rest of the Cape Colony it became part of the South African Union in 1910. When Namibia gained independence in 1990 South Africa kept the town of Walvis Bay, eventually handing it over in 1994. The trans-Kalahari highway is now complete and the intention is to land freight and truck it overland to Johannesburg. Accommodation Since Walvis bay is only 30 km south of Swakopmund, it is far more conducive to stay in Swakopmund - the Swakopmund Hotel and the Hansa Hotel are excellent options. Attractions Worth visiting in Walvis Bay are: the local museum, the wooden Rhenish mission church, and the Bird life Information Centre. Dune 7 is the highest sand dune in the area and the views from the top are superb. Walvis Bay is also known for the large salt fields where sea salt is processed - covering an area of 35 sq km 400,000 tons of salt is produced per annum. An adventurous 48 km away the freshwater Sandwich Harbour lagoon is well worth a day trip - see Namib Naukluft National Park for more details. How to get there By road: only 30 kilometres south of Swakopmund. |
|||
| TOP | |||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||