The Namib Desert is a desert located in western Namibia, within Africa’s largest national park, the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Covering an area of 50,000 square kilometers, it stretches along Namibia’s 1600-kilometer Atlantic coastline, with a width varying from 50 to 160 kilometers, and extends into the southwest of Angola. This region is considered the oldest desert in the world, with arid and semi-arid climates prevailing for at least 80 million years. The air blowing from the Atlantic Ocean to this region becomes dry and cools down as it passes over the cold Benguela Current, creating a dry climate.

Some rare species of flora and fauna are found only in this desert, including a plant called “Welwitschia mirabilis,” which resembles a shrub and only grows two long strap-shaped leaves in its lifetime, some reaching several meters in length. While most parts of this desert are uninhabited and inaccessible, there are settlements in Sesriem, close to the famous Sossusvlei and a series of sand dunes, with some dunes exceeding 300 meters in height, including the highest in the world. The intricate and regular shape of its sand dunes has attracted the interest of geologists. Visitors can reach the Namib Desert from the Namibian capital, Windhoek, Swakopmund, or Walvis Bay by small aircraft, or by gravel roads.

Namib Desert

Reasons to Visit: The oldest desert in the world

Continent: Africa

Country: Namibia

Region: Hardap Region