Skeleton Coast Camp is situated in the heart of a private concession area of the 16 400km squared Skeleton Coast Park, one of the planet’s most inhospitable, but hauntingly beautiful places
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– it is wild, desolate and uninhabited. It has everything from roaring sand dunes and windswept plains, to towering canyons and saltpans, seal colonies and shipwrecks.
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Freshwater springs and the early morning mist off the Atlantic Ocean sustain a surprising amount of life, from large mammals to the extraordinary welwitschia plant. |
The camp has six luxury Meru-style tents with spacious bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms; meals are served in the open-air ‘dining room’ under an ancient Leadwood tree. |
Full or half-day excursions include nature drives or walks, or visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, Rocky Point, the roaring dunes, lichen fields, Cape fur seal colonies, Himba villages and
shipwreck sites. |
Secret water seeps attract wildlife, so guests can see desert elephant, oryx, springbok, giraffe, ostrich, brown hyaena, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and occasionally lion and cheetah. The terrain is rugged and harsh, hence this camp will be enjoyed by those who are looking for a true wilderness experience, in some of the most spectacular scenery in southern Africa. |
Reservations and Enquiries |
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Skeleton Coast Park
The Skeleton Coast Park, proclaimed in its present form in 1973, extends from the Ugab River in the south for 500 km to the Kunene River in the north, covering an area of approximately 16 400 square kilometres. The attraction of this remote area lies essentially in the colour, changing moods and untouched profile of its landscape. Its aura of mystery and impenetrability is due to the many shipwrecks, dense coastal fogs and cold sea breezes caused by the cold Benguela current. These climatic conditions are also responsible for the Skeleton Coast's singular ecosystem.
Freshwater springs permeate through barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Springbok, gemsbok (oryx), the rare desert elephant, ostrich, Cape fur seals, jackal and brown hyena - and even cheetah on rare occasions - eke out an existence in this rugged terrain, along with the vegetation like the ancient welwitschia plant which has adapted to the harsh conditions.
The arid desert environment in the Skeleton Coast is within the northern reaches of the Namib Desert. The Benguela current brings cold waters all the way from Antarctica and helps to moderate temperatures. The cool air off the ocean meets the hotter desert air and nearly every morning, a cool mist envelops the coastline, bringing life-sustaining moisture to the desert. By about 9 or 10 in the morning the sun’s rays have burnt this mist off.
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