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Lüderitz
A windswept harbour town with German-era houses, rugged coast and the Kolmanskop ghost town
A windswept harbour town with German-era houses, rugged coast and the Kolmanskop ghost town
About 10km inland, this once-rich diamond town was abandoned in the 1950s. Dunes now pour through the doors of its grand houses. Guided tours run in the morning.
Photographers can buy permits for longer access.
Photo: Sonse, CC BY 2.0
The “church on the rock”, built in 1912, overlooks the town and harbour. Its stained-glass windows are worth a look when it is open.
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Now joined to the town, Shark Island was the site of a German concentration camp in 1905–1907 where many Nama and Herero prisoners died. A memorial marks the site.
Treat the site with respect.
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
On the Lüderitz peninsula, a replica cross marks where the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488. Seals and seabirds live on the rocks nearby.
Photo: Sonse, CC BY 2.0
Try local oysters, crayfish (rock lobster) in season and fresh fish at waterfront restaurants.
There are a few cafés and a supermarket in town.
Lüderitz is at the end of the tarred B4, about 330km west of Keetmanshoop, which takes around 3.5–4 hours. Watch for wild horses near Aus.
Flights to Lüderitz are limited; most visitors drive.
Namibia uses the Namibian dollar (NAD), pegged 1:1 to the South African rand, which is also accepted.
Ghost town and wild coast.
Take the morning tour of Kolmanskop, then visit the Felsenkirche and Shark Island.
Drive the Lüderitz peninsula to Diaz Point and quiet bays.
It is often very windy; bring a jacket.
The B4 crosses desert; watch for sand on the road and wild horses.
Morning tours are best for light and calm.
Do not enter the restricted diamond area around town.
Quick answers for planning time in Lüderitz.
A former diamond-mining town near Lüderitz, abandoned in the 1950s and now filled with sand.
About 10km.
Drive the B4 from Keetmanshoop, about 3.5–4 hours.
It was the site of a German concentration camp in 1905–1907; a memorial marks it.
Any time; March to May is often calmer.
Download offline maps; there is no signal on long stretches of road.
Free
English is widely spoken; Afrikaans and German are common too.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Namibia travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.