Walvis Bay travel guide

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Photo: Vladimir Oprisko / Unsplash

Walvis Bay is a city of 62,000 (2011) on Namibia's Atlantic coast. It has the country's only commercial port. It is famous as a place to see large numbers of flamingoes and rare migratory birds.

Walvis Bay in pictures

Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.

Practical guide

See

The Walvis Bay Lagoon is just south-west of town, a wetland for migratory birds. The Lagoon is a habitat for flamingos and the endangered Damara tern. For a larger and more impressive wetland and flamingo colony, visit Sandwich Harbour, a bay and lagoon 45 km (28 mi) south of town. You will need a 4x4 to navigate the sand. 1 Walvis Bay Museum, 12th Rd. M-F 09:00-17:00. Exhibits showcasing natural science, culture, history, Namib archaeology, maritime, gemstones, etc (updated Sep 2020)

Do

There are quite some activities to do in Walvis Bay. Dolphin and whale watching, Atlantic street, ☏ +264 811280635, bookings@laramontours.com. Oysters and sparkling wine included. Very nice guide and staff. Spotted dolphins, whales and seals. Mola Mola (+264 64 205 511) also offers dolphin and seal cruises. Dune boarding. Buy a dune board in town and head 6km out of town to Dune 7 for an inexpensive thrill. Fishing, ☏ +264 64 2016111. Rods can be rented. You need a fishing permit though which can be bought at the Ministry of Fisheries for 14 N$ for 30 days (Inspectorate Office, 1st Street, daily 08:00-13:00). Speak to the locals about the various fishing spots. Kite surfing.

Eat

1 Crazy Mama's, Sam Nujoma Ave. Funky bistro with beer garden, child friendly. Pizza, salad and vegetarian options. Main course around N$ 150, light meal N$ 100, steak N$ 200. (updated Feb 2020) Probst Willi Bakery. A German cafe serving some of the best sandwiches. Try the "rawhak" roll. The Raft Restaurant, The Esplanade (on a pier opposite the Pelican Bay Hotel), ☏ +264 64 204877. A large top-class restaurant with great atmosphere, on a pier in the lagoon. The main restaurant offers a huge à la carte menu. There's also a bistro offering great views, wood-fired pizzas and the best burgers for miles. Also has a lively bar. A must if you are in Walvis Bay.

Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.

Getting there

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Things to do in Walvis Bay

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Best time to visit Walvis Bay — climate

Jan: ~23°C daytime, 0 rainy days 23° JanFeb: ~24°C daytime, 0 rainy days 24° FebMar: ~25°C daytime, 3 rainy days 25° MarApr: ~23°C daytime, 0 rainy days 23° AprMay: ~29°C daytime, 0 rainy days 29° MayJun: ~25°C daytime, 0 rainy days 25° JunJul: ~20°C daytime, 0 rainy days 20° JulAug: ~19°C daytime, 1 rainy days 19° AugSep: ~20°C daytime, 0 rainy days 20° SepOct: ~21°C daytime, 0 rainy days 21° OctNov: ~22°C daytime, 1 rainy days 22° NovDec: ~24°C daytime, 1 rainy days 24° Dec

Weather in Walvis Bay

Thu ☁️ 19° 11° 💧0%
Fri ☁️ 25° 10° 💧0%
Sat ☀️ 33° 15° 💧0%
Sun ☀️ 32° 16° 💧0%
Mon ☀️ 32° 16° 💧0%
Tue ☁️ 17° 12° 💧4%
Wed ☁️ 17° 11° 💧0%

In Jul, Walvis Bay typically sees ~20°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.

Round out the trip

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