Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 202582; Diaz St; admission N$15; 3.30-5pm Mon-Fri)
This museum contains in-
formation on the town's history, including displays on natural history, local indigenous
groups and the diamond-mining industry. Phone to arrange a visit outside standard open-
ing hours.
LÜDERITZ PENINSULA
The Lüderitz Peninsula, much of which lies outside the Sperrgebiet, makes an interesting
half-day excursion from town.
Agate Bay
, just north of Lüderitz, is made of tailings from the diamond workings.
There aren't many agates these days, but you'll find fine sand partially consisting of tiny
grey mica chips.
The picturesque and relatively calm bay,
Sturmvogelbucht
, is a pleasant place for a
braai,
though the water temperature would be amenable only to a penguin or polar bear.
The rusty ruin in the bay is the remains of a 1914 Norwegian whaling station; the salty
pan just inland attracts flamingos and merits a quick stop.
At
Diaz Point
, 22km by road from Lüderitz, is a classic lighthouse and a replica of the
cross erected in July 1488 by Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias on his return from
the Cape of Good Hope. Portions of the original have been dispersed as far as Lisbon,
Berlin and Cape Town. From the point, there's a view of a nearby seal colony and you can
also see cormorants, flamingos, wading birds and even the occasional pod of dolphins.
Also at the point is a
cafe
serving hot/cold drinks, toasties (N$20), oysters, beer and
great chocolate cake. It's possible to
camp
(campsite N$75, per person N$45)
on rocky,
flat ground roped off between the lighthouse and water. There are decent amenities al-
though the site is more exposed to the wind than Shark Island.
Halifax Island
, a short distance offshore south of Diaz Point, is home to Namibia's
best-known jackass penguin colony. Jackass or Cape penguins live in colonies on rocky
offshore islets off the Atlantic Coast. With binoculars, you can often see them gathering
on the sandy beach opposite the car park.
Grosse Bucht
(Big Bay), at the southern end of Lüderitz peninsula, is a wild and scenic
beach favoured by flocks of flamingos, which feed in the tidal pools. It's also the site of a
small but picturesque shipwreck on the beach.
Just a few kilometres up the coast is
Klein Bogenfels,
a small rock arch beside the sea.
When the wind isn't blowing a gale, it makes a pleasant picnic spot.
