“Ho speso quattro secoli di vita
E fatto mille viaggi nei deserti
Perché volevo dire ciò che penso
Volevo andare avanti ad occhi aperti”P. Bertoli, A muso duro
Table of Contents
Introduction
We have reached the halfway point of our trip to Namibia and, having just visited the wonders of Sossusvlei, we want to keep the scenery spectacular. The best way to achieve this is to return to the Atlantic Ocean, this time to marvel at where it meets the desert. And since we’ve become familiar with the dunes, there’s no good reason not to try climbing the highest one in the world!
Itinerary in pills
The main highlight of the day is Sandwich Harbour, a place considered one of the most incredible in Namibia. It is here that the desert meets the ocean, creating an unforgettable sight. We have a journey of around three and a half hours ahead of us to get from our tented camp in Solitaire, where we spent the night after visiting Sossusvlei, to Walvis Bay, the starting point for our tour. Naturally, there will be a few stops along the way. Among these is the one at the sign marking the Tropic of Capricorn.
You can find a map of today’s driving route here.
Detailed itinerary
Tropic of Capricorn Sign
Having set off early in the morning from Solitaire, we reach the sign marking the Tropic of Capricorn after about an hour’s drive. At this point, there are two signs in particular, situated on opposite sides of the road. Our stop here lasts just long enough to take a few photos, partly because we had already come across the first sign marking the Tropic of Capricorn along the road to the Kalahari Desert. Compared to the latter, the signs between Solitaire and Walvis Bay are a little lower, as well as more famous, a feature that makes them more prone to being covered in stickers by travellers.
Sandwich Harbour
We set off again at a brisk pace, and after another two and a half hours on the road we arrive in Walvis Bay. On the way, we also pass the Kuiseb Canyon, which we catch a glimpse of from the road; we decide not to stop, partly so as not to risk arriving late at the meeting point.
For the trip to Sandwich Harbour, we booked through Sandy Horizon, a local agency we contacted from Italy a little while before our departure. The cost of the trip is 2700 NAD (around €135) per person and includes a light snack. The meeting with the guides is set at noon at Dolphin’s Coffee Shop in Walvis Bay. It is also possible to set off from Swakopmund for the same excursion, in which case you meet the agency at 11.30 am if you wish to opt for the afternoon tour. The other session is in the morning and starts at 7.30 am, but that didn’t suit us. It is possible to combine the Sandwich Harbour tour with the zodiac trip to Cape Cross, where you can see a huge colony of sea lions. We decided not to do this, primarily because you can reach Cape Cross Park by car (as we did), but above all because I had read that, during the excursion, the sea lions are lured by feeding, a technique that isn’t exactly respectful of the ecosystem and which had already annoyed me enough during my experience with nurse sharks in the Maldives.
I should point out that, in theory, it is permitted to visit Sandwich Harbour independently, but I strongly advise against venturing there on your own. This is because, if you are not an expert at driving in sand dunes, the chances of needing to be rescued from a quagmire of sand would be extremely high (not surprisingly, we didn’t see anyone going there alone).
The excursion lasts a total of about 4 hours and includes 3 stops in total. The first is at Pelican Point, a spot where you can see pelicans gathering around pools of water to drink. The stop is quite brief and also allows the guides to deflate the tyres, so they can drive more easily on the sand.
The second stop, which is also rather brief, is at Pink Lake, situated just before Walvis Bay beach. It is a salt lake that takes on a deep pink hue due to the presence of salt crystals. It is no coincidence that salt extraction is one of the main industries in this part of Namibia. The scenery we are witnessing is extremely striking, strongly reminiscent of some of the saltwater pools in the Siwa Oasis in Egypt.
Once you’ve passed the Pink Lake, you head onto the beach, which leads to the viewing points where you can admire the meeting of the desert and the ocean. The walk along the beach takes a few minutes, and you may spot some wildlife. We saw several seals and jackals.
The climb up to the viewpoints is undoubtedly the most fun part of the excursion. The drivers put on a spectacular show, creating a rollercoaster effect. Our driver, a very experienced older chap, enjoyed teasing us by saying that it was his first time.
This brings us to the viewpoints, which become increasingly spectacular the higher we climb. It’s quite windy here, and this is the only time during the whole trip that we’ve seen any clouds. The guide told us that summer isn’t a good time to visit Sandwich Harbour and that the clouds are always there, covering that stretch alone. The view, however, is priceless.
After visiting all the viewpoints, we head back to Walvis Bay, following the same route we took on the way there.
Dune 7
We collect our car at around 4.30 pm, just in time to attempt to climb Dune 7, which, at 380 metres high, holds the world record for the tallest sand dune. Dune 7 is located near Walvis Bay, which is less than half an hour’s drive away. To access the dune, you have to pay 135 NAD (around €7.20) per person.
Although Dune 7 is taller than Big Daddy (which stands at 325 metres), climbing Dune 7 is much easier and can be done in about half an hour.
It’s sunset when we reach the top of the dune, and we certainly can’t miss the chance to watch the sun disappear behind the sand. The view is breathtaking – one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.
We head back down the dune once the spectacle is over, and within minutes we’re already on our way to Swakopmund, Namibia’s second-largest city, where we’ll be spending the night. Unfortunately, given the time, we won’t be able to see any of the city, though it didn’t look particularly appealing to me from the photos I’d seen elsewhere.
The following day we’ll head into Damaraland, another region with incredible scenery. But I’ll tell you all about that in the next episodes.
Conclusions
The day I’ve described in this article takes the silver medal among the most beautiful of the trip, just behind the one spent in Sossusvlei, which is in a league of its own.
Seeing the desert dunes meet the ocean is a unique and probably once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, which we tried to enjoy properly. If I had to choose the best moment of the day, I think it’s a close call between the viewpoint at Sandwich Harbour and the sunset at Dune 7, one of the most spectacular I’ve ever witnessed. But if you ask me which was the most fun, I have no doubt I’d pick the moment when the drivers delighted us with their skilful driving.
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