location

Namibia’s northwest contains the sparsely populated region known as Damaraland. It shares a boundary with Damaraland North at its northernmost point, which begins approximately in Twyfelfontein. In addition, the Brandberg massif is located in the south, while the Skeleton Coast is located in the west.

How to get there

With its easily accessible dirt roads and little traffic, Namibia is ideally suited for self-drive safaris. Swakopmund, the adventure center of Namibia’s Atlantic coast, is where one of the most popular routes to Damaraland begins. See our Complete Guide to Swakopmund for more things to do and information about the exciting region. From there, it takes about an hour to drive north to Henties Bay, with a stop along the way to see the Skeleton Coast shipwrecks. The route to Damaraland makes an abrupt inland turn at Henties Bay.

However, there are two methods to travel to Damaraland from Windhoek: driving yourself or taking a chartered flight from Eros airport. If the latter, you will travel the B1 route, then turn off onto C39 and follow the road past Khorixas. Make sure you have your playlist packed and snacks ready for the seven-hour travel!
As an alternative, you might drive the four hours from Etosha National Park, which is the closest significant location to Damaraland.

Best time to go

A trip to Damaraland can be planned at any time of the year, but the humid and dry temperature can make certain months more comfortable than others.

Our favorite times to visit are throughout the winter, which runs from June to September. On average, the pleasant, sunny days are about 28°C, while the nights can get chilly. Rainfall is also infrequent. The vegetation, which is primarily made up of fynbos and bushes, will be brown and dry during this period due to the region becoming drier, making it appear as though it won’t be able to live until the following year. However, it always does, and visiting this desert in the winter will undoubtedly leave you in awe of the tenacity of nature. Animals start to gather around the few waterholes that remain when there is a shortage of water, which makes it an even more alluring time to visit.