Walvis Bay Sightseeing: Lagoon, Salt Pans

October 31, 2026

Walvis Bay is a port city of about 102,700 people (2023 census) on a desert coast that gets roughly 13 mm of rain a year. Its sights are mostly natural and industrial: a wetland alive with birds, pink salt pans, a lighthouse on a sandspit and a very large dune. Fog is common and often burns off by midday, so bring a warm layer and plan outdoor viewing for late morning onward. Prices are in Namibian dollars (N$), pegged one to one to the South African rand.

The lagoon

The Walvis Bay Wetland is Ramsar site no. 742, covering 12,600 hectares of lagoon, intertidal flats, the salt works and Pelican Point up to its northern tip. Greater and Lesser Flamingos feed here in numbers that run to tens of thousands, joined by pelicans and many other waterbirds. In practice the birds come closest around mid to high tide. The lagoon is a feeding and wintering area and a nursery for young African black oystercatchers. Public viewing is free from Esplanade Park and the Waterfront. Details of the site are on the Ramsar information sheet .

The salt works

The salt works cover about 3,500 hectares and produce over a million tonnes of salt a year. Pink and green pans get their colour from salt-tolerant microorganisms, and flamingos gather on the evaporation ponds. It is an industrial site with no visitor programme, so look at it from the road to Pelican Point or join a tour that passes through.

Pelican Point and the lighthouse

Pelican Point is the sandspit that shelters the bay. It holds a seal colony of tens of thousands of Cape fur seals and a lighthouse about 35 m tall. It is about 32 to 45 km from town depending on the route, reached by 4x4 along the lagoon or by boat, and it is not a walk from town. Seals often come close to boats and kayaks, so keep your distance.

Dune 7

Dune 7 rises roughly 380 to 388 m about 10 km east of Walvis Bay in the Dorob National Park. An entry fee applies, differs by nationality and age and should be checked at the gate. Climbing takes about 25 to 50 minutes, and the sand is very hot by midday, so go early or late and wear closed shoes.

Old Rhenish Mission Church

The Rhenish Mission Church was prefabricated in Hamburg and re-erected beside the harbour in 1880. It stands in the harbour-side old town. Walvis Bay was under British and then South African control before sovereignty passed to Namibia on 1 March 1994. Check access before you go. Most German colonial architecture in the area is in Swakopmund.

Waterfront and Esplanade Park

The Waterfront on Atlantic Street is the departure point for catamaran cruises and has restaurants such as Anchors at the Jetty, which is listed as open from 07:30 to 22:00. Esplanade Park is a flat shoreline walk along the lagoon.

Port and cruise ships

Namibia’s main port has a large container terminal that opened in August 2019. Cruise ships call here, and excursions run to Swakopmund, Dune 7 and the lagoon.

Booking

Find guided viewing options on GetYourGuide . For background on the town, see Wikipedia on Walvis Bay .