The Skeleton Coast is one of the world's most remote and haunting coastlines, a strip of golden dunes meeting the cold Atlantic, with fog that rolls in most mornings and ships' bones scattered along the shore. The Bushmen called it the Land God Made in Anger, and sailors called it the Gates of Hell.
The coast is wild and beautiful. Seals gather by the thousand at Cape Cross, desert-adapted elephants and lions roam the Hoanib and Hoarusib rivers, and dunes run to the sea. Visits here are normally by small aircraft with expert guides, flying over shipwrecks, whale bones and dune seas.
The Skeleton Coast suits travellers who want remote, rare experiences, and who are happy to pay for a small, exclusive trip.
Cape fur seals form huge colonies at Cape Cross, with up to 100,000 animals at times. Brown hyena, black-backed jackal and desert-adapted elephants and lions are found in the river valleys, and gemsbok and springbok roam the desert. Southern right and humpback whales pass offshore.
Chance of seeing
Our estimate for a stay of two or three nights with a good guide. Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised.
Dune seas run to a cold, grey Atlantic that breaks on rocky shores. The coast is wrapped in fog in the mornings, with ship’s ribs and whale bones in the sand, and a silence broken only by wind and surf.
Activities here
The coast is cool and foggy, with temperatures of 15°C to 22°C and a cold sea breeze. It almost never rains, but fog is common in the morning. Inland valleys are warmer.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 14 | 0 |
| Feb | 20 | 15 | 0 |
| Mar | 21 | 14 | 1 |
| Apr | 21 | 13 | 1 |
| May | 22 | 12 | 2 |
| Jun | 22 | 11 | 2 |
| Jul | 21 | 10 | 1 |
| Aug | 20 | 10 | 1 |
| Sep | 19 | 10 | 0 |
| Oct | 19 | 11 | 0 |
| Nov | 19 | 12 | 0 |
| Dec | 20 | 13 | 0 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
The coast is dry all year, and clear days are common from April to October when the fog lifts earlier.
Rain is rare. Occasional summer thunderstorms upriver can make the dry riverbeds run for a few hours.
May to October is the best time to visit, with the clearest weather and the best chance of seeing desert wildlife in the river valleys. Fog is possible at any time.
Best time to visit May to Oct
Most guests fly from Windhoek’s Eros Airport or from Damaraland to the airstrips at the lodges in the northern part of the park. The southern section can be reached by road from Swakopmund, which is about 120 kilometres to Cape Cross.
Permits and park fees for the Skeleton Coast National Park are included in our safaris. Visitors from many countries, including the UK and US, need a Namibian visa, which can be applied for online or on arrival (about N$1,600 at the time of writing). Please check the rules for your passport.
The coast is cold and windy, so pack a warm jacket even in summer. Medical help is far away, so we plan with air evacuation cover. The Skeleton Coast has no malaria.
Scenic AreaSossusvlei and the NamibThe world's tallest red dunes
National ParkEtosha National ParkWaterholes that draw everything in
RegionDamaralandDesert elephants and ancient rock art
City & TownSwakopmundSeaside town between dunes and ocean
City & TownWindhoekNamibia's small, friendly capitalOur take
“Our take”
The Skeleton Coast is best by air. See the coast from above, then land in the Hoanib valley for the elephants and the lions.
Safaris from
US$5,546 per person
Plan your time in Skeleton Coast
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Made to measure
Tell us how you like to travel and we will build a private journey around it: the right lodges, the right pace and the permits already in hand.
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