The Skeleton Coast Park, is one of Namibia’s greatest treasures, in that it is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Initially proclaimed in 1971, The Skeleton Coast earns its name from the many shipwrecks and the ghosts of their sailors that litter this eerie coast.
- The fog that rolls in from the Atlantic ( by the cold Beguela Current) gives the entire coast a mystical feel. Over the years the desert sand starts to engulf the shipwrecks that are scattered along the coast.
The park contains rich lichen fields (more than 100 species have been recorded), is a sanctuary for desert- dwelling Elephants, Rhino and Lion and the Kunene River mouth is a vital wetland.
Terrace Bay is the only year-round accommodation that’s reachable by car. It’s the farthest north you can go in your own vehicle without a permit. The property is run by NWR and consists of a series of beach front chalets. The vast majority of the people who stay here come to fish. Apart from a nearby 4×4 dune drive, there’s not much to do in the area.
The park has two (2) entrances: the Springbokwasser Gate and the Ugab River Gate.

The Springbokwasser Gate is located on the C39 from Damaraland.
The Ugab River Gate is in the south on the coast and the gate used by visitors coming or going to Swakopmund (Hwy C34).