Walvis Bay is the main harbour town in Namibia, the harbour is visited by many fishing boats, cargo vessels and an increasing number of passenger cruise liners.

Attractions of Walvis Bay are the lagoon with its prolific bird life and variety of recreational possibilities, a desert golf course, a choice of restaurants & accommodation establishments and adventure activities such as sea kayaking, sandwich harbour tours and dolphin cruises.

Traditionally tourists have treated Walvis Bay as the poor cousin to Swakopmund however the town is developing a thriving tourist industry with many accommodation establishments such as guest houses and hotels opening along the lagoon.

Many of the water based activities such as dolphin cruises, catamaran trips, fishing expeditions and kayaking all start in Walvis Bay and while visitors staying in Swakopmund need to travel the 30km to participate, those who choose accommodation in Walvis Bay will find these activities starting on their doorstep.

The Walvis Bay Lagoon is the main reason for visiting the town, the bird life on the lagoon is plentiful including flamingoes, pelicans and many small waders. The Raft restaurant deserves a special mention, it is built on stilts in the lagoon and reached by a short bridge. This is a pleasant place to enjoy a meal completely surrounded by water while entertainment is provided by the birds, jelly fish and even the occasional seal.

A visit to the Walvis Bay harbour is well worth the effort. Entry permits can be obtained from the Police Offices at the Harbour Entrance on 13th Road. Organised visits to the harbour are undertaken every two weeks, usually on Thursdays. Also worth seeing in Walvis Bay is the local museum and the wooden Rhenish mission church dating from 1880.

"Dune 7" at the outskirts of town is the highest sand dune in the area. Once you have climbed to the top, you can enjoy stunning views.