Namib-Naukluft National Park
About
The Namib Naukluft Park is an ecologically protected area and was proclaimed in August 1979. The Park has an area of 49,800 km² and at the time of proclamation it was the largest protected area in Namibia. The Park is situated at the Atlantic coast and borders the Dorob Park to the north, the Restricted Diamond Area in to the south and it shares the border with the private NamibRand Nature Reserve to the east. In the north east the Naukluft Mountains form part of the Park as well. The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and extends far beyond the borders of the National Park and includes the whole of western Namibia. The part of the Namib within the Park is about 500 km long and between 100 to 180 km wide. Here the highest dunes worldwide are found, which reach a height of up to 300 metres. The Naukluft Mountains, nearly 2000 metres high, form the eastern extension of the Park. Sandwich Harbour is situated in the north of the Park, about 45 km south of Walvis Bay. It consists of a 10 km long bay or lagoon, surrounded by dunes and vegetated by reeds. This bay is home to more than 200,000 birds (flamingos, cormorants, pelicans and other sea birds) and can only be reached by 4x4 from Walvis Bay.
