28 Tours to Skeleton Coast, ordered shortest to longest trip. Prices are from R19800 $1040 £832 €970 A$1595 C$1421 NZ$1746 to R224800 $11810 £9442 €11009 A$18108 C$16131 NZ$19825 per person. Use our Tour Search → to filter by price, duration, start point, travel style and more.
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The Skeleton Coast, which stretches hundreds of kilometres up the Namibian coast, from Swakopmund to the Kunene River on the border with Angola, is barren, desolate, and achingly beautiful.
Many of our African Budget Safaris featuring the Skeleton Coast include stops in vibrant Swakopmund and a visit to the Cape fur seal colony at Cape Cross.
Cape fur seal bulls can reach 360 kg at the beginning of the breeding season (October), the female seals are a lot smaller, at 75 kg. Babies are born in November/December and weigh a mere 4.5 to 7 kg, living with, and depending on their mums for at least a year.
The reserve at Cape Cross can have up to 100,000 seals living there, which is an astounding thought, and an amazing sight.
With a 200 m walkway, made of recycled plastic, you can get up close and personal with the seals. Be warned though, they're noisy and smelly!
Before becoming famous for its seal colony, Cape Cross got its name from the cross placed there by the Portuguese explorer, Diego Câo in 1486. This was to stake Portugal's claim on the territory, as he searched for a route around Africa to India. The cross is a landmark and was used as a navigational aid from the 15th century.
The cross that stands on the spot now is a replica of the original, erected in 1980, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the initial landing. The original cross was removed in 1893, by a German sailor, Captain Becker, and has yet to be returned.
It is a humbling experience to see the cross, and imagine the hardships of those sailors exploring unknown seas and, more tragically, all those sailors that washed ashore on this inhospitable coastline, never to return.
Known as the 'Adventure Capital of Namibia', Swakopmund offers a plethora of activities.
This quaint, seaside town, with plenty of German architecture, is on the sea. It's a cosmopolitan place, offering the best that Europe and Africa can offer in terms of food and shopping.
If you're an adrenaline junkie, these are a few of the activities that Swakopmund offers:
Find out more with our Skeleton Coast safari travel guide page.