Sandwich Harbour lies about 45 kilometres south of Walvis Bay as the crow flies. The German Wikipedia gives 42 kilometres, the English one 80. No road leads there. You can only get in by day, by 4x4 along the beach and over the dunes, or by boat. The lagoon is part of the Namib-Naukluft Park and has been protected as a wetland under the Ramsar Convention since 1995.
- south of Walvis Bay as the crow flies
- about 45 km
- Ramsar site
- 1995
- greater flamingos, counts from 1990 to 2015
- up to 9,500
- for the drive along the beach
- low tide only
This used to be an open bay. Shifting dunes have gradually filled it in, leaving a reed-fringed lagoon behind beach ridges that ranks among the most important bird sites on the whole coast. Counts between 1990 and 2015 found 8,900 to 9,500 greater flamingos, 2,800 to 3,900 lesser flamingos and around 23,000 curlew sandpipers. Add pelicans and cormorants.
You need a permit from the environment ministry. Whether you may drive there alone in your own vehicle is described differently: the ministry only mentions the permit, while a travel portal wrote in July 2026 that access is only through licensed operators. So nearly all visitors go on a tour from Walvis Bay. Some operators let you follow the guide in your own vehicle.
Tides, sand and the route
From Walvis Bay the route passes the lagoon and the salt works before it hits the sand. There it splits. One track runs south along the beach, another through the dunes. The beach is only passable at low tide, and even then only for a few hours. Wind and high waves can close it even at low water.
The dunes here reach up to 100 metres in places, and at the narrowest point there is hardly any escape from the water. Get stuck on a rising tide and you may lose the vehicle. That is why operators time their departures by the tide tables. If the tide is too high, you walk the last stretch to the lagoon over the dune.
A harbour nobody needed
Sources explain the name in two ways. It may come from the English whaler Sandwich, which anchored here in the 1780s. Or it may be a corruption of Sandfisch, a local species of shark. German maps called the bay Sandfischhafen.
It never worked as a port. The Royal Navy surveyed the bay in the 1880s and found it clearly inferior to Walvis Bay. German South West Africa used it as a supply harbour from 1889. Four years later Swakopmund took over. In the 1930s sand pumps from the Netherlands were brought in to build an island for guano. At low tide jackals crossed over and drove the birds away. All that remains of the project is the manager's house.
- Time needed
- half a day from Walvis Bay; tours leave in the morning or early afternoon
- Cost
- tour prices vary by operator; example from September 2025: N$ 2,250 per person in your own vehicle behind the guide, N$ 5,000 in the operator's vehicle. No park fee increase since April 2026, a concession fee instead (as of October 2026)
- When
- at low tide; the operator sets the departure time by the tide tables
Our tipRead your rental agreement before you book. Some companies explicitly ban the drive to Sandwich Harbour, in which case you ride in the operator's vehicle. Bring a windproof jacket and sunglasses, the sand flies.
Places to stay in Walvis Bay
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Horus Bed & Breakfast
11 Hesko Street
- Restaurant
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €42per night on 23 November 2026
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The Rez Guesthouse
16 Mandume Ndemufayo Circle
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Pets allowed
from €142per night on 19 November 2026
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Amjicaja Guesthouse Tours & Rentals
8 Temple Crescent, Meersig
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Fireplace
from €92per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivagoSandwich Harbour: frequently asked questions
Can you drive to Sandwich Harbour on your own in a rental car?
Sandwich Harbour requires a permit from Namibia's environment ministry, and sources disagree on whether self-drivers are allowed without an operator. Some rental agreements explicitly ban the route. Most visitors go on a tour from Walvis Bay or follow a guide in their own vehicle.
Why does the drive to Sandwich Harbour depend on the tides?
Part of the route to Sandwich Harbour runs between the surf and the dunes, and only at low tide is there enough beach for a few hours. At high tide operators detour over the dunes, and you walk the last stretch to the lagoon.
Which birds can you see at Sandwich Harbour?
Counts between 1990 and 2015 found up to 9,500 greater flamingos, up to 3,900 lesser flamingos and around 23,000 curlew sandpipers at Sandwich Harbour, along with pelicans and cormorants.
How far is Sandwich Harbour from Walvis Bay?
Sandwich Harbour lies about 45 kilometres south of Walvis Bay as the crow flies. The German Wikipedia gives 42 kilometres, the English one 80.