Erongo

Erongo is a region in eastern central Namibia.

Cities
  • 🌍 Arandis , a mining town in the middle of the Namib Desert
  • 🌍 Henties Bay , a coastal holiday town, famous for its angling opportunities
  • 🌍 Karibib , a small town halfway between the capital Windhoek and the coast of the Atlantic
  • 🌍 Omaruru , a small town in the northeast of the region
  • 🌍 Swakopmund, a coastal town and holiday destination with plenty of German colonial architecture
  • 🌍 Walvis Bay, Namibia's most important harbour town

Other destinations
  • 🌍 Brandberg , a mountain massif that contains Namibia's highest mountain, the Königstein, as well as San rock art, with the White Lady the most famous of it
  • The northern part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park
  • 🌍 Spitzkoppe, a group of inselbergs rising from the Namib Desert

Understand

Erongo is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and has domestic borders with Hardap in the south, Khomas in the southeast, Otjozondjupa in the northeast, and Kunene in the north. Most of its area is desert—rocky north of the Kuiseb River and sandy south of it.

Talk

Get in

Due to the scarcity of other options, most travellers will arrive by car. The major highway in the region is the Trans-Kalahari Highway (B2) that leads from Walvis Bay to Okahandja.

By air

Walvis Bay has a regional airport with scheduled flights to the capital Windhoek, and to Cape Town in South Africa.

By train

There is a train service from Windhoek to Walvis Bay via Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund. It runs a few times a week during the night. The train is predominantly for freight, with only one or two passenger cars, and it stops at every tree rock, as there are few trees in the desert. But the 11-hour trip is cheap and safe, and safes a night of accommodation. Bring a sleeping bag; the desert is cold at night.

By public transport

Between towns you can catch a minibus. Karibib, Usakos, Arandis and Swakopmund have local shared taxis that can take you around.

Get around

The B2 highway is tarred and in very good condition, as is the C33 from Karibib to Otjiwarongo. The C34 from Swakopmund to Terrace Bay is paved with a sand-salt mix. It behaves like tar when it is dry, and like soap when it is wet, drive carefully. All other C-roads are gravel roads and in fair condition, easily passable with an ordinary sedan. Other roads (D-roads, F-roads, and those without letters or numbers) tend to be rough, sandy, heavily corrugated, and will further deteriorate after rainfall.

Within the Namib-Naukluft National Park there are plenty of smaller tracks for which a permit is required. See our our park article for details. Most of these tracks require a 4x4.

Farms are private properties. Don't drive onto a farm road, even if the gate is open, unless your destination is signposted there, or you intend to visit that farm. If you open a farm gate to drive through, close it again.

See
  • 🌍 Cape Cross seal colony, 44km north-west of Hentiesbay
  • Moon Landscape, an area of unreal results of the erosion of the Swakop River, 25km east of Swakopmund. The road there further extends to the Welwitschia Plains which contain one of the largest of these plants that exist. The entire trip has roadside markers every now and then to explain selected plants, artefacts, and geological features. The road is very rough and crosses the sandy Swakop. You will feel sorry for your car. If you don't have nerves of steel, come in a 4x4, or do the trip by joining one of the frequent organised tours that start in Swakopmund.
  • 🌍 Rössing Uranium Mine , one of the largest open-pit uranium mines in the world. There is a guided tour every first Friday of the month, departing from Swakopmund. The machinery shown is impressive, particularly for kids, but you are also forced to watch a boring PR movie. Tickets at the Swakopmund Museum.

Do
  • Visit 🌍 Gobabeb , an environmental research center for desert conditions. The center holds an annual open day on which you will be shown around. If you miss that one you might still contact them to ask if you are welcome. All roads to Gobabeb require a permit for the Namib-Naukluft National Park

Sleep

Erongo is touristically well developed. There is tourist accommodation in all towns and villages.

Eat

Buy

Drink

Stay safe

The Ugab riverbed in northern Erongo is inhabited by desert elephants. If you are driving through it, remember that the area is theirs, not yours. They certainly know it. Don't drive too close towards a herd of elephants. 10-15 m is close enough for good holiday pictures and will normally not put your party in danger. Otherwise, the younger ones might play with your car, the older ones might get angry, either way your car might end upside down. You'll know that an elephant is angry when it shakes its head. In this case, stay in the car, switch off the engine, and avoid all unnatural noise (cell phone, camera, such things). They will eventually walk away; wait for this to happen instead of trying a daring escape.

Go next

The following regions of Namibia border with Erongo:

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