Skeleton Coast National Park, Namibia

The Skeleton Coast National Park protects one of the most remote, haunting and dramatic coastlines on Earth, running along Namibia's northern Atlantic shore. Its evocative name comes from the whale and seal bones that once littered the beaches from the whaling era, and from the many ships wrecked on its treacherous, fog-bound waters, their rusting hulls still half-buried in the sand. Where the cold Benguela current meets the hot desert, dense sea fogs roll inland, sustaining a surprising array of specially adapted desert life. The landscape is a stark and beautiful blend of windswept dunes, gravel plains, salt pans, canyons and clay castles, broken by ephemeral rivers that create linear oases of vegetation. Wildlife includes desert-adapted elephants, brown hyenas, jackals, oryx and springbok, while the shoreline teems with Cape fur seals and abundant seabirds. Access to the far north is strictly controlled to preserve its wilderness character, and visitors are rewarded with a profound sense of solitude, spectacular scenery and evocative shipwreck sites.

Entry fees

• Citizen: USD 1.70
• Resident: USD 3.30
• Non-resident: USD 4.50

Activities

• Bird Watching
• Self-Drive
• Guided Tour
• Photography

Opening hours

Day-use permits; gate hours vary