A minimum stay of one full day and two nights is recommended in order to give the traveller enough time for activities and exploring the area.

Although small, Lüderitz is a developed town with several modern facilities:
* Numerious petrol stations and garages
* Several banks and ATM's
* Shops of various size
* Waterfront
* Restaurants, coffee shops and bars
* Airport

Itinerary
A minimum stay of one full day and two nights is recommended in order to give the traveller enough time for activities. Travellers should be advised to visit Lüderitz between a visit to the Fish River Canyon and Sesriem / Sossusvlei.

Clothing
Travellers should be prepared for cold, damp weather. In winter, the weather may be very cold, and in summer there may be fog. If doing a boat trip, the traveller should also pack accordingly.

Permits
Although there are no more diamonds to be found in this area, the Sperrgebiet is still a protected area in addition to its ecological sensitivity. Permits are required for visits to Kolmanskop and trips into the Sperrgebiet. A permit can be obtained for a visit to Kolmanskop at very short notice, however a permit for a trip into the Sperrgebiet requires clearance and should be applied for two weeks in advance. Consult with your local operator.

Driving
Sand often blows in drifts across the road into Lüderitz. The sand accumulated in heaps on the roads and visibility may be reduced. Travellers should be advised to reduce speed and drive carefully.

Swimming
Travellers should be advised that the water around Lüderitz is generally cold. The strong Benguela current makes swimming extremely dangerious.

Closed on Sunday & public holidays
Many restaurants and shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays. If the itinerary visits Swakopmund on a Sunday or a public holiday, it is advisable to pre-book an activity.

Kolmanskop and many of the areas around Lüderitz may only be visited with a permit and / or accompanying guide. Digging in many areas around Lüderitz may often only be done with a permit. Travellers should be cautious and ask in advance, although there are no more diamonds to be found. Visitors with criminal records are not permitted to enter the Sperrgebiet.

* History & monumnets of the town
* Trips to Kolmanskop and into the Sperrgebiet
* Activities and day trips
* A sense of history and museum
* The Atlantic Ocean

* Lüderitz can be reached in a small 2 X 4 sedan.
* Sand often blows in drifts across the road and accumulates in heaps on the roads. Travellers should be advised to reduce speed and drive carefully
* As a large part of the journey may takes place on gravel roads, consultants should switch to a 4x4 vehicle during the rainy season (October to April) if gravel roads are used.

* Aus
* Seeheim
* Fish River Canyon
* Keetmanshoop
* Helmeringhausen
* Duwisib Castle
* Sesriem & Sossusvlei

Aus
Aus to Lüderitz is approx. 125 km
* From Aus drive west on the B4 to Lüderitz (approx. 125 km)
The entrie route is tar road.
En-route attractions: WWI Prisoner of War Camp & Kolmanskop

Hobas via Seeheim
Hobas via Seeheim to Lüderitz is approx. 412 km
* From Hobas take the D324 to the C37 turn off (approx. 12 km)
* Turn left into the C37 and drive to the C12 turn off (approx. 32 km)
* Turn left into the C12 and drive to Seeheim (approx. 75 km)
* From Seeheim drive west on the B4 to Aus (approx. 168 km)
* From Aus drive west on the B4 to Lüderitz (approx. 125 km)
The B4 is tar road. The rest of the trip is on gravel road.
En-route attraction: Kolmanskop, Garub wild horses & WWI Prisoner of War Camp

Ai-Ais
Ai-Ais via Seeheim to Lüderitz is approx. 462 km
* From Aus drive east on the C10 to the C37 turn off (approx. 22 km)
* Turn left into the C37 and drive to the C12 turn off (approx. 72 km)
* Turn left into the C12 and drive to Seeheim (approx. 75 km)
* From Seeheim drive west on the B4 to Aus (approx. 168 km)
* From Aus drive west on the B4 to Lüderitz (approx. 125 km)
The B4 is tar road. The rest of the trip is on gravel road.
En-route attraction: Kolmanskop, Garub wild horses & WWI Prisoner of War Camp

Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop to Lüderitz is approx. 336 km
* From Keetmanshoop drive on the B4 to the Seeheim (approx. 43 km)
* From Seeheim drive west on the B4 to Aus (approx. 168 km)
* From Aus drive west on the B4 to Lüderitz (approx. 125 km)
The entrie route is tar road.
En-route attraction: Kolmanskop, Garub wild horses & WWI Prisoner of War Camp
Note: It is not advicable to visit the Fish River Canyon when travelling from Keetmenshoop to Lüderitz. Rather include a night near the Fish River Canyon.

Sesriem via Helmeringhausen
Sesriem via Helmeringhausen to Lüderitz is approx. 483 km
* From Sesriem drive south on the C27 to the C13 turn off (approx. 249 km)
* Turn left into the C13 and drive to Helmeringhausen (approx. 4 km)
* From Helmeringhausen drive south on the C13 to Aus (approx, 105 km)
* From Aus drive west on the B4 to Lüderitz (approx. 125 km)
The B4 is tar road. The rest of the trip is on gravel road.
Detour attraction: Duwisib Castle
En-route attractions: WWI Prisoner of War Camp & Kolmanskop

Lüderitz Airport (FYLZ)
South: 26 degrees 41’ 00”
East:  15 degrees 15’ 00"
Elevation:  426 feet
Lüderitz traffic: 124.8

Lüderitz Airport has 2 runways

Runway	04/22	12/30
Length (meter)	1,830	1,192
Width (meter)	30	30
Surface	tar	gravel
Direction	04/22	12/30

Information on Lüderitz Airport provided by Red Sky Ventures

Lüderitz Nest Hotel
73 rooms, incl. family units &  paraplegic friendly rooms, all rooms have sea view, noted seafood restaurant, access to Sperrgebiet and Kolmanskop. Ideal base for visiting Kolmanskop, Dias Point, Shark Island and the rugged coastal scenery.

Kolmanskop is a mining town that was abandoned when the diamonds in the vicinity were mined out. It was developed after the discovery of diamonds to provide housing for workers, closer to the diamond fields. It contained a hospital, school, bowling alley, ballroom, power station and a theatre. When people left the town, they often left furniture and other items. The town was finally abandoned in 156, and has been gradually and partially covered by the desert sands. It provides a glimpse of life in the past, and excellent photo opportunities. Accompanied trips to the town take place twice daily, Mondays to Saturdays and in the morning on Sundays and public holidays. There is a small museum, shop and restaurant at the site.

There are a number of attractions in the Sperrgebiet. These include the abandoned town of Elizabeth Bay, Atlas Bay where seals congregate, the Bogenfels Rock Arch on the coastline and the abandoned mine at Pomona. There are a number of day tours into the Sperrgebiet, however visitors must book and provide details two weeks in advance, and must have no criminal record. No children under 14 are allowed to enter the Sperrgebiet. Consult your local operator.

Lüderitz is a small town, and many of its attractions can be seen on foot. Travellers can take a short walk around the city, to look at monuments and stop at the Waterfront for coffee, tea, cake, a light meal and some shopping.

On 25 July 1488, Bartholomew Dias erected a padrao, stone cross, at what is now known as Dias Point to commemorate his landing and St James’ Day. The cross was removed to Cape Town Museum. Today a replica cross stands on the spot.

Shark Island was used by the German colonial forces as a concentration camp between 1905 and 1907. It housed Herero and Nama prisoners, used as forced labour, particularly in the construction of railway lines and the construction of the harbour.

Today, Shark Island has a number of cottages that are available for tourism and a light house. Strangely enough, it is also the site of a memorial to German soldiers who died in the uprisings between 1904 and 1908.

The island is connected to the mainland by a strip of land that was reclaimed from the sea to provide access.

There are a number of beaches that can be visited. There is a small beach on Shark Island. Grosse Bucht lies south of Lüderitz, where the peninsula ends and the Sperrgebiet begins. Agate Beach lies approx. 8 km north of Lüderitz, and can be visited in a small 2 X 4 sedan. One of the activities at Agate Beach is digging for sand roses, however this requires a permit. Lüderitz also offers excellent windsurfing.

Note: Due to the cold water and strong Benguela current swimming is extremely dangerious.

Boat cruises are offered at Lüderitz. Weather permitting, these sail to nearby islands. Dolphins and marine birdlife can be seen.

A small museum is located on Dias Street. It is open Mondays to Fridays and on Saturday mornings. The museum contains displays on:
* The history of Lüderitz
* Diamond mining
* Namibian cultures
* Nature of the Namib
* Marine life

There are a number of shops that sell souvenirs and jewellery.

Lüderitz is renowned for its seafood. As this is a fishing port, the seafood will be fresh. Rock lobster exports is one of Lüderitz’s major industries.

A waterfront mall has been developed. This houses a number of shops and an environmental information centre.

Dias Point is the site where Bartholomew Dias erected a padrao, a stone cross, to commemorate his landing at Lüderitz on 25 July 1488. Numerous ships used the padrao as a navigation beacon. However, by the early 19th century, the cross was badly damaged. In 1825, officers of HMS Barracouta found the cross uprooted and broken. In 1855, Captain Carew, a guano merchant, removed the fragments and took them to the museum in Cape Town. In 1953, more fragments were found. In 1988 a replica made of Namibian dolerite was erected to mark the spot.

Kirch Weg. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, Felsenkirche, stands at the highest point in Lüderitz. Its name means ‘the church on the rocks’. It takes its name from the fact that its foundations are a granite outcropping. Its name also has associations with Saint Peter and the fact that his Greek name, Petros, also means rock. The cornerstone was laid on 19 November 1911, and it was consecrated on 4 August 1912. A stained glass window was donated by Emperor Wilhelm II.

In 1883, Adolf Lüderitz erected a wooden tablet to mark his acquisition of the territory known as Lüderitzland. The wooden tablet became badly weathered and was replaced with a stone beacon in 1903. The beacon is historically important as it marks the first German acquisition in the country. It originally stood in an old graveyard, however the graves were moved to Shark Island.

Kirch Weg. Goerke House, also known as the Magistrate’s Residence was constructed by the mine inspector for a German diamond-mining company, Hans Goerke, in 1909, and is an indicator of the wealth that was present in the town at the time of the diamond rush. In 1920, it was bought by Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM) as a residence for the chief mine engineer. In 1944, CDM relocated its headquarters and sold the building to the SWA Administration. It then served as the magistrate’s house until 1981. In 1983 it was repurchased by CDM for use as a VIP guesthouse. Today, it serves as a showpiece and information centre for Namdeb (formerly CDM). The house can be visited in the late afternoons.

Corner of Bismarck and Bahnhof Streets. In 1904, the Nama Uprising broke out. Using forced labour, the German colonial forces rushed to construct a railway line from Lüderitz into the interior. This railway line was built primarily to move troops and material, and facilities were rudimentary. In 1908, diamonds were discovered and the port’s prosperity and population grew rapidly. The fast growth in cargo and passengers required better facilities. In 1912, the German government gave permission for a new station building. The building was completed in April 1914, It was the last major building constructed by the German administration in Namibia.

Bismarck Street. The ‘German Africa Bank’ was originally the banking division of the Damara und Namaqua Handelsgesellschaft, the ‘Damara and Namaqua Trading Company’. It was the first bank to be built in Lüderitz. The front of the bank has a sliding window, through which workers on the diamond mines were paid. It also contains a vault in which diamonds were stored.

Berg Street. There are two semi-detatched residences that have been declared national monuments on Berg Street. They show the standards of building and architecture after the discovery of diamonds. They are located on Erf 269 (B and C) on Berg Street.

In 1488, the small bay, now known as Lüderitz received its first visitor, Bartholomew Dias, who marked his visit with a stone cross. Over 400 years later, the discovery of diamonds placed Lüderitz on international maps. The vast quantity of diamonds diminished, and Lüderitz once again became a quiet port. But today, it is a fascinating destination for visitors, offering glimpses of Namibia’s colonial history, access to the ghost town of Kolmanskop and, with special permits for the adventurous, entry into the abandoned diamond fields in the forbidden territory of the Sperrgebiet.

In 1488, the small bay, now known as Lüderitz received its first visitor, Bartholomew Dias, who marked his visit with a stone cross. Almost 400 years later, the bay and the territory surrounding it was purchased by Adolf Lüderitz. He placed it under the protection of the German government and, not recognising the wealth that lay on the sands, sold it to a trading company. On 14 April 1908, a worker on the railway line, Zacharias Lewala, found diamonds in the sand, and placed Lüderitz on international maps.

In the years that followed, the vast quantity of diamonds diminished, and Lüderitz once again became a quiet port, amongst the silent landscapes of the Namib. But today, it is a fascinating destination for visitors, offering glimpses of Namibia’s colonial history, access to the ghost town of Kolmanskop and, with special permits for the adventurous, entry into the abandoned diamond fields in the forbidden territory of the Sperrgebiet.

In the Nama culture, the original name of Lüderitz was Chanugaub, meaning ‘running through the bay from the mainland to Shark Island'.

In 1486, King John II of Portugal commissioned Bartholomew Dias to sail around Africa in search of a trade route to Asia and to seek the legendary Christian king, Prester John, in Africa. Dias set out in August 1487. On 24 July 1488, he arrived at a small bay which, he noted, could provide excellent moorage for as many as 100 ships. He erected a padrao, a commemorative cross, in honour of São Tiago, otherwise known as St James, and named the bay, Angra das Voltas. He returned and named it Angra de São Christóvão, the Bay of Saint Christopher. It was later renamed Angra Pequena, ‘the little bay’.

The bay was once again renamed Lüderitzbucht, 'Lüderitz Bay', after Franz Adolf Eduard Lüderitz, a German merchant and the man who brought South West Africa, later Namibia, under the protection of the German empire. Subsequent to his death, German authorities later renamed Angra Pequeña, Lüderitzbucht in his honour.

Born in Bremen in 1834, he was brought into the tobacco business by his father. In the years 1854 to 1859, he spent time in the United States. In 1878, his father died and became the manager of the business. In 1881, he started a factory in Lagos, Nigeria.

In 1883, Lüderitz sent a representative, Heinrich Vogelsang, to the area. Vogelsang negotiated with Chief Fredericks and, on 1 May 1881, concluded an agreement to purchase the bay and adjoining land for 100 Pounds Sterling in gold and 200 rifles with accessories. For a while Lüderitz was known as Fort Vogelsang.

In August, Lüderitz extended his possession by a further 20 geographical miles inland, extending downwards to the mouth of the Orange River. The cost was 500 Pounds Sterling in gold and 60 rifles. Fredericks was unaware that 20 geographical miles was 137 km and later disputed the purchase. This territory was known as Lüderitzland.

Lüderitz requested that the land be brought under German protection and, on 24 April 1884, the territory was declared a German protectorate.

Lüderitz’s activities brought him to the verge of bankruptcy. On 4 April 1885, Lüderitz sold the land and all rights for 500,000 Reichsmarks to the Deutsche Kolonial Gesellschaft für Südwest Afrika.

On 23 October 1886, he and a sailor in his employ boarded a boat to explore the coast around the mouth of the Orange River. They never returned, and their bodies were never found. It is believed that they drowned on 24 or 25 October. The boat and bodies were never recovered.

The bay was named Lüderitzbucht, ‘Lüderitz Bay’, but this was later shortened to Lüderitz, although Lüderitzbucht is still often used. According to philatelists, a post office was opened on 12 November 1885. The first permanent date stamp was used from 2 December 1895 with the town name inserted in manuscript.

Many activities, particularly boat trips, are planned around the weather. Very strong winds blow during summer, especially from August to January. Strong winds blow during winter. Sand storms are a normal occurrence as is dense fog. During summer the temperature is hot. In the winter, it can be extremely cold, especially at night. Travellers should pack accordingly.

Find out more about visiting Lüderitz, here>>

In 1486, King John II of Portugal commissioned Bartholomew Dias to sail around Africa in search of a trade route to Asia and to seek the legendary Christian king, Prester John, in Africa. Dias set out in August 1487. On 24 July 1488, he arrived at a small bay which, he noted, could provide excellent moorage for as many as 100 ships. On 25 July, he erected a padrao, a commemorative cross, in honour of São Tiago, otherwise known as St James, and named the bay, Angra das Voltas, the Bay of Tacks, after the many tacks that ships had to make to enter the bay. He returned and renamed the bay Angra de São Christóvão, the Bay of Saint Christopher.  It was later renamed Angra Pequena, ‘the little bay’.

Angra Pequena was subsequently visited by a number of ships, but no settlement occurred. The first notable visit took place after the Dutch East India Company established itself at the Cape of Good Hope. The company decided to explore the western Atlantic coast, and the ship Grundel landed at Angra Pequena and Sandwich Harbour around 1670.

In 1733, it was mapped by the French explorer, Count Jean de Maurepas. Between 1784 and 1786 a British expedition under Home Riggs Popham visited Angra Pequena and noted the padrao. In 1786, the vessel Nautilus surveyed the coast between Angra Pequena and the Orange River mouth, with secret orders to find a place to open a port and resetlle convicts. In 1793, the Dutch Ship Meerman under Captain Duminy proclaimed Angra Pequena a Dutch possession, but the Dutch did not make an attempt to setlle or exert their influence over the area.

In 1828 a US Captain by the name of Benjamin Morrell stopped at the bay and traded with local Namas and Damaras. He noted high concentrations of guano along the Namibian coast, but nothing resulted. In 1838, Benjamin Morrell wrote a book on his journey. In the same year, Jonker Afrikaner, in the quest to expand his territory, built roads from Windhoek, across the Auas Mountains (the Northern Bay Road) and from Bethany to Berseba and onwards to Angra Pequena.

Benjamin Morrell’s book came to the attention of a Liverpool businessman, Andrew Livingstone. He chartered three small ships. Two failed, but Captain Farr in a brig named Ann arrived at Ichaboe and returned carrying a fair profit in the form of ‘white gold’. In spite of Livingstone’s attempt to buy the crew’s silence, the secret leaked out, and the islands thronged with ships. Many of them found anchorage in Angra Pequena.

In an effort to ensure the profitability of the resource, and to bring order to the armada of as many as 450 ships, the British took possession of the islands, but did not take possession of Angra Pequena. By 1845, the guano deposits were depleted and Britain lost interest.

In the 1880s, Angra Pequena came to the attention of a German businessman by the name of Adolf Eduard Lüderitz who was searching for new territory in Africa.

In 1883, Lüderitz sent a representative, Heinrich Vogelsang, to the area. Vogelsang negotiated with Chief Fredericks and, on 1 May 1881, concluded an agreement to purchase the bay and adjoining land for 100 Pounds Sterling in gold and 200 rifles with accessories. In August, Lüderitz extended his possession by a further 20 geographical miles inland, extending downwards to the mouth of the Orange River. The cost was 500 Pounds Sterling in gold and 60 rifles. Fredericks was unaware that 20 geographical miles was 137 km and later disputed the purchase.

Lüderitz requested that the land be brought under German protection and, on 24 April 1884, the territory was declared a German protectorate. This territory was known as Lüderitzland.

Lüderitz requested that the land be brought under German protection and, on 24 April 1884, the territory was declared a German protectorate. On 7 August 1884, the German flag was hoisted at Angra Pequena in the presence of the German battleships Leipzig and Elisabeth. On 7 October 1884, Gustav Nachtigal, Gustav Nachtigal, the German Commissioner for West Africa arrived on the battleship Möwe.

In spite of numersous expeditions in search of minerals, Lüderitz’s activities brought him to the verge of bankruptcy. On 4 April 1885, Lüderitz sold the land and all rights for 500,000 Reichsmarks to the Deutsche Kolonial Gesellschaft für Südwest Afrika.

In 1904, the Herero and Nama Uprisings broke out. Captured prisoners, men, women and children, were kept on Shark Island from late in 1904 to early in 1907. Their forced labour was used to develop Lüderitz’s harbour and to construct the railway linking Lüderitz to Aus and Keetmanshoop. The line was completed in 1906.

In 1908, a small jetty was built for passengers, and rockfill was used to connect Shark Island to the mainland. But the big news was to come.

Due to high levels of wind, the railway line had to be cleared of sand on a regular basis. On one of the work details, on 14 April 1908, supervisor August Stauch described a diamond to one of his crew, Zacharias Lewala, and asked him if he had seen one. Zacharias Lewala walked off and returned with a diamond a few moments later.

Lüderitz’s history had taken a sudden, interesting turn, and a diamond rush began. The diamonds were so plentiful that they could be picked off the desert. Claims began to mushroom.

In order to gain control and regulate the industry the Sperrgebiet, a ‘forbidden zone’ was declared on 22 September 1908. The Sperrgebiet was 360 km wide and stretched 100 km into the interior. In terms of the proclamation, prospecting and mining rights were granted to nine companies.

Huge amounts of diamonds were found in the territory between 1908 and 1913.

In 1914, war broke out. On 19 September 1914 South African troops landed at Lüderitz. The civilian population was deported to Lüderitz, and the mining activities were reduced.

In 1920, Ernest Oppenheimer acquired control of the nine companies, and amalgamated them into one company, Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM). In 1923, CDM and the South West Africa Administration concluded the Halbscheid Agreement which gave CDM the rights for all diamond mining in the Sperrgebiet.

However the profitability of diamond mining was waning. New prospecting found diamonds at the mouth of the Orange River. As a result, the town of Oranjemund was founded at the mouth of the Orange River in 1936. CDM went on to transfer its headquarters to Oranjemund. Lüderitz’s heyday had come to an end.

Today Lüderitz thrives on tourism and fishing. It is also a port that serves Southern Namibia and the Northern Cape.