Namib Naukluft Park -
Sandwich Harbour Section
Sandwich Harbour is situated near Walvis Bay at the foot of towering
dunes, the area was once an open bay which has become silted up over the
years, and it is a sensitive environment which has gained international
importance as a wetland.
DIRECTIONS:
Sandwich is accessible by four-wheel drive only. From the traffic circle
at the entrance to Walvis Bay continue along Union Street to its
junction with The Esplanade. Turn left here (south) and continue with
this road to the turnoff sign posted Paaltjies where you take the
left-hand fork. A short distance further, the road forks once more and
here you keep to the left. The road now winds through the salt works and
the Kuiseb Delta along a well-defined track which soon splits into
several tracks. Keep to the well-defined tracks closest to the
sand-dunes along the edge of the salt pan. Shortly before reaching the
park fence the tracks veer off onto the beach. From here it is roughly
20 km to the northern boundary of Sandwich through loose sand. There is
a choice of two routes - a direct route along the beach or a more inland
route. If you choose the latter option continue around the fence for a
few hundred metres before the tracks continue southwards. Langduin (Long
Dune) is reached after about 7 km and, depending on local conditions, is
usually best crossed along its ridge. If there are no fresh tracks to
follow, work your way around the base, but be extremely careful not to
get bogged down in the salt flats. After traversing the dune the route
once again passes through a salt pan as far as Rondeduin (Round Dune),
where you reach the beach. The southern boundary of the angling area is
about 9km further on. |
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ACCOMMODATION:
Overnight camping at Sandwich is strictly prohibited. Accommodation at
Walvis Bay ranges from caravan and camp sites to hotels and fully
equipped bungalows. In Swakopmund and Walvis Bay visitors have a choice
of several hotels and pensions.
FACILITIES:
None at all.
NOTE:
Open to day visitors between sunrise and sunset
Only 4x4 vehicles are allowed. Entry permits are available in Swakopmund
No camping allowed
No angling allowed between 25 January and 15 April
WELWITSCHIA TRAIL lies east of Swakopmund
and offers a close look at a botanical curiosity endemic to the Namib
Desert and is one of the most intriguing and bizarre plants. It is
a self-guided trail which takes you through the ''Moon Landscape'' to
the Welwitschia Mirabilis. (A permit is required.)
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