Hardap Region Essentials
The Hardap Region encompasses the central Namib Desert, characterized by the towering red dunes of Sossusvlei and the white clay pan of Deadvlei, where ancient camel thorn trees remain preserved. The area includes the 30-meter deep Sesriem Canyon, carved by the Tsauchab River, and the early 20th-century Duwisib Castle. To the east, the Hardap Dam creates Namibia's largest reservoir, while the coast holds the 1909 shipwreck of the Eduard Bohlen, now stranded hundreds of meters inland by shifting sands.
A Sossusvlei
A salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. It serves as the drainage basin for the ephemeral Tsauchab River, which occasionally floods the pan during years of exceptional rainfall.
B Deadvlei
Deadvlei is a white clay pan located near the more famous salt pan of Sossusvlei, in a valley between the dunes in the Namib-Naukluft Park…
C Dune 45
Dune 45 is a star dune in the Sossusvlei area of the Namib Desert in Namibia.
D Namib
The Namib is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres…
E Sesriem
Sesriem is a small settlement in the Namib Desert, in the Hardap Region of Namibia, close to the southern end of the Naukluft Mountains.
F Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December solstice.
Duwisib Castle
Duwisib Castle, sometimes spelt Duwiseb or Duweseb, is a grand pseudo-medieval looking fortress in the hills of the semi-arid Southern…
H Hardap Dam
The Hardap Dam is a dam close to Mariental in the Hardap Region of central Namibia.
I NamibRand Nature Reserve
A stunning private reserve that is home to a number of African animals. Offers private guided tours and even stargazing opportunities.
J Elim Dune
A high, isolated dune located near the Sesriem entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park. As the furthest inland dune in the Sossusvlei area, it provides views across the desert to the Naukluft Mountains.
K Eduard Bohlen
Eduard Bohlen was a ship that was wrecked on the Skeleton Coast of German Southwest Africa on 5 September 1909 in a thick fog.
L Hidden Vlei
A secluded clay pan reached via a four-kilometer round-trip walk from the 2x4 parking area. Surrounded by dunes, it features sun-bleached camel thorn trees similar to those in Deadvlei but receives significantly fewer visitors.
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