Read some interesting facts about Swakopmund
Geographically Swakopmund is situated amidst dunes and at the edge of the Namib Desert where the Swakop River reaches the Atlantic Ocean. The sea breeze helps moderate temperatures compared to inland desert areas. Swakopmund's climate is dominated by the interface between hot desert winds and the cold Benguela Current.
Swakopmund is known as activity centre of Namibia.
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Swakopmund is two years younger than Windhoek, the district was officially proclaimed in 1896.
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Swakopmund is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. The Mission of Swakopmund Municipality is to "React to the needs of the residents and the visitors of Swakopmund."
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As of 2011, the town had 44,725 inhabitants and 196 km2 of land. To 2023, the population has increased by 1.7 times to 75,921 people. It is the fourth largest population centre in Namibia.
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The median age is 22 years with about 36,000 people from 15 to 45 years old.
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The town is named after the Swakop River. The German settlers rendered it Swachaub, and when in 1896 the district was officially proclaimed, the version Swakopmund (German: Mouth of the Swakop) was introduced.
The Herero called the place Otjozondjii 'place of seashells'.
And actually Swakop is an ephemeral river and it reaches the ocean only about once every 10 years. See one of these moments here (2022)
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Did you hear about Fata Morgana? In Swakopmund it's almost everyday phenomenon. See more photos and info here
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The average temperature ranges from 15 to 25 °C (with min 10C in August and max 23C in February) as in the whole country average monthly temperatures ranging between 24°C (November to March) and 16°C (June, July) but the summer months temperatures hitting 35°C or higher and temperatures can drop below zero in mid-winter.
So you can enjoy life on the beach all year round.
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Swakopmund is the only place in the world where it’s hotter in winter than in summer. While night temperatures in Namibia's interior highlands drop to around freezing, Swakop can see night temperatures as high as 45°C. Between April and July, we can expect Eastwind weather. The winds are very gusty and reach speeds of around 80 km/h. In extreme cases 100 km/h. But the wind dies down around lunch time and then we have warm and the most beautiful afternoons with spectacular sunsets.
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Wind has a major impact on shaping Namibia’s landscapes by moving great amounts of sand. Much of the sand is transported offshore to the Atlantic, some sand is mixed into more fertile soils that attract farmers, and other sands are moulded into the many forms of dunes that are found in different areas of Namibia.
Swakopmund’s dunes are more alive than you think. Read some interesting facts about the dunes here
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With an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, Namibia is one of the sunniest countries in the world but in Swakopmund you experience a fog for about 200 days annually with its peaks in winter, between April and August.
It happens that the sun does not appear for weeks, but more often the thick morning mist gives way to beautiful sunsets (or vice versa)
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Rainfall is less than 20 millimetres while in Namibia can be more than 600 mm.
Rain in Swakopmund is a rare sight. We only get it once in a blue moon
I love to capture reflections in the water
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It’s not possible to predict the weather in Swakopmund. You never know if the fog is gonna be there or not. Regarding the weather one can only say, “Never a dull day!” On many days you might experience all four seasons (and very often even within an hour).
"Mauritius-like weather" in the morning gives way to
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Swakopmund was the filming location for Mad Max: Fury Road. In August 2008, filming commenced in Swakopmund on the AMC television series The Prisoner starring Jim Caviezel and Sir Ian McKellen. Swakopmund is the film location for "The Village". In 2002, the city appeared on The Amazing Race 2 and was visited again in The Amazing Race 26. In 2019, MTV's The Challenge: War of the Worlds was filmed in Swakopmund, including the dunes of the Namib Desert and Swakopmund's coast.
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Swakopmund offers a unique snapshot of German Africa. Sometimes you get the feeling that you are not only in another time (many buildings have dates from the early 20th century), but also in some part of Europe.
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Swakopmund has its very own Oktoberfest and is the centre of Christmas and Easter celebrations for many Namibians, as well as South Africans and many other international guests. Don't miss this opportunity!
Enjoy this mystical fairytale land!
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