Solitaire is not a village. It is a farm with a fuel station, a shop, a bakery and a lodge, and it sits where the C14 meets the C19, 83 kilometres north of Sesriem. If you are driving between Sossusvlei and Swakopmund, you will almost certainly stop here. After it, more than 230 kilometres of gravel lead to Walvis Bay without another fuel station.
- farm founded for karakul sheep
- 1948
- to Sesriem via the C19 and C27
- 83 km
- of gravel to Walvis Bay on the C14
- 232 km
- bought by the founder in 1948
- 33,000 ha
In 1948 Willem Christoffel van Coller bought about 33,000 hectares of undeveloped land, then called Areb, and farmed karakul sheep. His wife Elsie chose the name. A solitaire is a diamond set on its own, and the word also means solitude. The little chapel was begun in 1948 and finished in 1951. In 1968 the van Collers sold the farm.
Today the place lives off passing traffic. Besides the fuel station there is a shop, a café with a restaurant, toilets and a tyre repair workshop. Fill up here even with half a tank: the fuel station in Sesriem ran dry several times in 2025, and towards the coast there is none until Walvis Bay.
What made Solitaire famous is the bakery at the junction, Moose McGregor's Desert Bakery. Its baker was Percy McGregor. Everyone called him Moose, and among travellers his apple pie still has a good name today. He has since died, in 2014 according to Travel News Namibia, early in 2012 according to another source. The bakery still carries his name.
The Tropic of Capricorn on the C14
North of Solitaire the C14 climbs into the hills. Between the Gaub and Kuiseb passes, signs on both sides of the road mark the Tropic of Capricorn. Strictly speaking the spot is never quite right: the Tropic shifts a little further north every year.
Beyond it comes the Kuiseb Pass, the steepest point of the C14 at 1 in 9, with some bends lacking a guard rail. Sesriem is an hour and a half south. From Windhoek the Spreetshoogte and Gamsberg passes lead straight to Solitaire; via Spreetshoogte it is about 220 kilometres.
Today, as of Moose McGregor, who made the bakery famous, is no longer alive. And there are plans for the road. An environmental assessment for tarring the route from Walvis Bay via Solitaire to Maltahöhe, about 385 kilometres, was out for comment in 2025, but at the end of 2025 the roads authority reported delays because of a bitumen shortage. Plan on gravel, as of October 2026.
- Time needed
- an hour's break between Sesriem and Swakopmund, or a night if you come from Windhoek over the Spreetshoogte
- From Windhoek
- 222 km, 240 minutes
Our tipMake your Solitaire stop in the morning. You will have a full tank and something to eat before the passes on the C14, and reach the coast before evening.
Places to stay in Solitaire
AdvertisementThe links lead to trivago. If you book through them we receive a commission; it does not influence the selection. Prices are examples for the night shown.
The Desert Grace
Solitaire Sesriem
- Restaurant
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
from €498per night on 29 June 2027
Check prices on trivago
Namib Desert Camping2Go
C19 35 km south of
- Parking
from €112per night on 23 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Soft Adventure Camp
Namnau Habitat, C19, 18 Km South Of
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €128per night on 11 August 2027
Check prices on trivago
Moon Mountain Lodge
Off the, C19
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €249per night on 2 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Agama Lodge
C19 Between Solitaire and Sesriem
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €277per night on 11 May 2027
Check prices on trivago
Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch
C14 Road
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €118per night on 20 November 2026
Check prices on trivagoSolitaire: frequently asked questions
Can you get fuel in Solitaire?
Solitaire has a fuel station at the junction of the C14 and C19. Heading for the coast, it is the last one before Walvis Bay, more than 230 kilometres of gravel away.
Who was Moose McGregor?
Percy McGregor, known as Moose, made the bakery in Solitaire famous among travellers. He died in 2012 or 2014, depending on the source, and the bakery still carries his name.
Where is the Tropic of Capricorn sign in Namibia?
The best-known Tropic of Capricorn sign stands on the C14 north of Solitaire, between the Gaub and Kuiseb passes. There are signs on both sides of the road.