Luderitz Namibia Cruise Port Guide

Location:

Cruise ships dock close to the center of town. It is occasionally necessary to anchor off Lüderitz. Passengers are then transferred to shore via ship's tender service.

As you walk up the main street from the pier you will see on the right a gift shop with a lot of people around. They are tour dispatchers.

Most of the streets in the town are dirt/sand.

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Luderitz Namibia

Sightseeing:

Built on rocks in a small enclave within the Sperrgebiet (restricted Diamond Area) is the quaint harbor town of Luderitz with its curious array of historical German– style buildings built during the diamond rush.

Set around the sparkling bay, with their gables, winding stairwells, verandahs, turrets and bay and bow windows, these buildings have a unique character of their own.

The most striking is Goerke–Haus, a former magistrate's residence built in 1909. The Lutheran Church on the hill above the bay, known as the Felsenkirche, was built in 1912. Its stained glass windows were donated by Kaiser Wilhelm 11. Both buildings are open to visitors at specific viewing times.

Luderitz was the first German settlement in the former Deutsch – Sudwest–Afrika. It was named after a Bremen merchant, Adolf Luderitz, who began trading operations in the harbor. Luderitz persuaded Bismarck to place the territory under German protection, which was done in 1884.

A replica of the cross erected in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias can be seen at Dias Point. The local museum portrays the unusual history of the town. Luderitz has an arts and crafts center, as well as a weaver where wall hangings and carpets of karakul wool are made.

The Luderitz area is home to a wide variety of aquatic birds. Large numbers of flamingos, cormorants and seagulls inhabit the shallow lagoon. When sailing in the bay, seals and dolphins can be seen playing in the water.

It is no unusual sight to see a jackal trotting along the beach, a group of springbok close to the sea, or an occasional brown hyaena.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

Also enjoy an excursion to nearby Kolmanskop. While Luderitz has survived its wild, diamond-mining past, Kolmanskop, a ghost town and favorite of photographers, was not quite as lucky.

A tour operator based in Luderitz offers visitors the unique opportunity of entering the Diamond Area to visit Bogenfels, the 55 m high rock arch which juts into the sea, the modern diamond mine and old ghost town at Elizabeth Bay and the seal colony at Atlas Bay.

Nearby Places:

For golfers there is an interesting desert course, described by locals as "rocky with oiled greens". Clubs can be hired at the local golf club.

The Atlantic waters off Lüderitz are home to seals, penguins and other marine life.

Shopping and Food

Developments along the new harbor, near the Luderitz cruise terminal and waterfront, contain small shops which sell souvenirs to visitors such as postcards and jewelry, in addition to traditional African handcrafted goods.

Currency:

The local currency is the Namibian dollar (on par with the South African rand); most vendors will accept U.S. dollars.

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Communication:

Opening Hours and Holidays:

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