The Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast is one of the most remote, wild and hauntingly beautiful coastlines on earth, a desolate stretch of northern Namibia where the shifting dunes of the Namib Desert plunge into a cold, treacherous, fog-bound Atlantic. Named for the bleached whale and seal bones that once littered it, and for the many ships wrecked on its hidden reefs and stranded on its endless beaches, it is a stark, atmospheric wilderness of shipwrecks, seal colonies, roaring dunes and an eerie, elemental beauty.

History

The San of the interior called the region "the land God made in anger", and Portuguese sailors called it "the gates of hell". Its English name comes from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore, and in modern times also from the wrecks of ships caught by its rocks and fog (Wikipedia, Skeleton Coast).

What you'll find

• The shipwrecks - the rusting hulks stranded on the endless beaches.
• The Cape Cross seal colony - the vast colony of Cape fur seals.
• The desert-meets-ocean - the dunes plunging into the fog-bound sea.
• The fly-in safaris - the aerial views of the remote northern coast.

When to go

Year-round, though the coast is often cool, windy and shrouded in fog thanks to the cold Benguela current; the desolate atmosphere is part of its appeal in any season. The far northern reaches are accessible only on fly-in safaris or with special permits.

Good to know

It is genuinely remote, harsh and desolate, so its appeal is the stark, elemental, end-of-the-earth atmosphere rather than conventional beauty; the coast is cold, foggy and windy, not a beach destination. The accessible southern part has the seal colony and some wrecks, while the wild far north is reachable only by expensive fly-in safaris or with permits. It is a haunting, unforgettable wilderness.

Nearby

Cape Cross, Swakopmund and Damaraland are within reach.

Key facts