Things to do in Luderitz
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Luderitz
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer: warmest in town, strong winds especially October to January, and crayfish most reliable roughly November to April.
Autumn sweet spot: winds ease, days stay mild, soft Kolmanskop light, and the Crayfish Festival in late April to early May.
Winter: cool and dry, morning sea fog can delay boats, cold nights and wind chill, good for Kolmanskop without heat.
Spring: warming, wind building toward the Speed Challenge, flamingos and seabirds active in the peninsula bays.
What's on
- Luderitz Crayfish Festival late April to early May
Seafood stalls, music and a trade fair at the Luderitz Waterfront, the town's biggest weekend, book rooms early.
- Luderitz Speed Challenge October to November
World class speed kite and windsurfing on a purpose dug channel at Second Lagoon, dates set by the wind season.
- Shark Island Genocide Memorial Commemoration April, centred on 22 April
A solemn Ovaherero and Nama commemoration at Shark Island, not a festival. Visitors in town should behave accordingly.
Best things to do in Luderitz
Kolmanskop Ghost Town
A diamond boom town abandoned in the 1950s, now filling with sand, seen best on the morning tour or at sunrise.
Shark Island
A rocky peninsula with harbour views, a campsite, and the memorial to Herero and Nama prisoners who died here.
Diaz Point
The windy headland where Dias raised a cross in 1488, now marked by a replica cross, a lighthouse and seals below.
Felsenkirche
The church on the rock above town, open for one late afternoon hour, with stained glass and the best sunset view.
Goerke Haus
A diamond era villa built into Diamond Hill rock, with a sundial and stained glass, but erratic opening hours.
Luderitz Museum
A small, dense museum of diamond, railway and natural history that gives the town its context in an hour.
Namibia Maritime Museum
A large maritime museum in the old power station, covering ships, fishing and the coast, good for a windy afternoon.
Agate Beach
A long, cold water beach north of town for agate pebbles, flamingos nearby and walks when the wind drops.
Where to stay in Luderitz
Luderitz Bay, Diaz Street
easiest and most comfortable base
Home to the Luderitz Nest Hotel, with sea views, the Penguin Restaurant and a private tidal beach.
Central Luderitz
walking to dinner and value
Compact streets around Bismarck and Nachtigall, with the Alte Villa, Obelix Guesthouse and the backpackers.
Shark Island
self catering and groups
Units and camping at the harbour edge, with the genocide memorial on the same peninsula, visited respectfully first.
Think twice about
- Tsau Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) restricted area off the marked roads
A restricted diamond area. No self drive off the B4 and marked peninsula roads, no picking up stones, permits and guided access only.
- Unlit streets and township areas at night, on foot and alone
Do not enter townships at night without local knowledge. Stay in lit central streets, lock the car and leave nothing visible in it.
Best restaurants in Luderitz
Penguin Restaurant
The splurge seafood dinner in town, west coast rock lobster and Luderitz oysters on a terrace over the bay.
The Portuguese Fisherman Restaurant
Portuguese seafood, calamari and oysters next to the museum on Diaz Street, the locals favourite mid range dinner.
Diaz Coffee Shop and Restaurant
Coffee, oysters and a beer garden on Bismarck Street, the easy all day stop between sights.
Barrels Pub & Restaurant
A pub restaurant at Kratzplatz for steaks, eisbein and seafood grills, lively in the evening and cheap for town.
Outdoor things to do in Luderitz
Penguin Catamaran Tours
The morning catamaran to Halifax Island for African penguins, Heaviside dolphins, seals and cormorants, without landing.
Bogenfels
A 55 metre coastal rock arch deep in the restricted diamond area, reachable only on a permitted guided day tour.
Grosse Bucht
A sheltered southern bay on the peninsula drive, known for flamingos, cormorants and quiet picnic spots.
Sturmvogelbucht
A calm, pretty bay on the peninsula road, one of the best sheltered stops for birds and a picnic.
Griffith Bay
A bay just south of town on the peninsula drive, with views back to Luderitz and seabirds along the shore.
Wild Horses of Aus
Feral desert horses at the Garub waterhole hide, 20 km west of Aus, most reliable early or late in the day.
Klein-Aus Vista
Granite hills above Aus with marked walks and quiver trees, best paired with the Garub horses on the drive in.
Luderitz Second Lagoon
The speed sailing channel where the Luderitz Speed Challenge chases world records in October and November winds.
Best hotels in Luderitz
Luderitz Nest Hotel
The top address in town, all sea view rooms on the bay, with a pool, a private tidal beach and the Penguin Restaurant.
Alte Villa Boutique Hotel
A restored 1909 boutique hotel on Klippenweg, individually decorated rooms, a garden and a small restaurant.
Obelix Guesthouse
A friendly central guesthouse with 16 rooms, a lapa restaurant and bar, safe parking and good value.
The Cormorant House
Self catering units at the edge of the Atlantic on Shark Island, practical for groups and longer stays.
Element Riders Backpackers
The budget base in the centre, dorms and rooms run for kitesurfers, simple, social and close to everything.
Is Luderitz expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NAD 1,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NAD 2,000 a person |
| Splurge | NAD 4,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kolmanskop Ghost Town: a few days ahead
- Penguin Catamaran Tours: a few days ahead
- Bogenfels: weeks ahead
- Luderitz Nest Hotel: weeks ahead
- Alte Villa Boutique Hotel: weeks ahead
- Penguin Restaurant: a few days ahead
- The Portuguese Fisherman Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Buy the Kolmanskop photographer day pass at least a day ahead, in town or online, not at the gate on the day.
- Book the Bogenfels and Pomona Sperrgebiet tour one to two weeks ahead so permit details can be cleared.
- Book the penguin catamaran a day ahead in season, and rooms weeks ahead for Crayfish Festival weekend.
Is Luderitz safe?
- Crime of opportunity is the main risk, and health facilities are limited outside large cities.
- Keep car doors locked and valuables out of sight, watch for card skimming, and do not drive outside towns at night.
- Lock the car, leave nothing visible in it, carry a passport copy and keep your payment card in sight.
- Medical care in Luderitz is basic and serious cases go to Windhoek, so carry travel insurance with evacuation cover.
Luderitz travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Goerke Haus opening is erratic and often tied to cruise ship days, so check on arrival rather than trusting listed hours.
- The Felsenkirche interior is normally open only about 17:00 to 18:00 and closed Sundays, so a morning visit sees only the outside.
- Ordering crayfish out of season without asking what is fresh: menus may be frozen or unavailable outside roughly November to April.
- Treating Shark Island as just a campsite and sunset viewpoint without visiting its genocide memorial first.
Getting around Luderitz: public transport and more
- The B4 from Keetmanshoop through Aus to Luderitz is tarred, about 340 km from Keetmanshoop and 125 km from Aus.
- From Windhoek it is about 685 km, a full driving day. Fuel up in Keetmanshoop or Aus and do not drive the B4 at night if you can avoid it.
- Town is walkable in the centre by day. You need a car for Kolmanskop, the peninsula, Agate Beach and Garub.
- Gravel scenic routes via Helmeringhausen and the D707 are slower, need a high clearance vehicle and a conditions check, and are not shortcuts.
Who Luderitz suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Luderitz your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store