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City Guide · NA
A desert-edge port of Art Nouveau houses and a rock church, 12 km from the sand-filled diamond town of Kolmanskop
History & Heritage
The sheltered bay was known to Portuguese sailors long before the town existed. The settlement began in 1883, when the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz sent Heinrich Vogelsang to buy the bay of Angra Pequena from the Nama-Oorlam captain Joseph Frederiks II. On 1 May 1883 Vogelsang paid £100 in gold and 200 rifles for the bay and a 5-mile radius around it. A second contract in August 1883 stretched the purchase along the coast, and a dispute over whether the contract meant German or English miles was never settled. The German flag was raised on 7 August 1884, and the town took its founder's name.
Lüderitz is also the site of one of the darkest chapters of German colonial rule. From March 1905 to April 1907 a concentration camp operated on Shark Island, at the harbour mouth. Herero prisoners were brought first, and Nama prisoners from August 1906. Prisoners were held in the open with little shelter, food or clean water, and many died of disease, exposure, malnutrition and forced labour. Estimates of the dead range from about 1,000 to 3,000, and mortality is recorded at between 70% and over 80% of the people sent there. The site is now a campsite with memorials and plaques.
In 1908 a railway worker, Zacharias Lewala, found a diamond in the sand near Kolmanskop, and a rush followed. The German authorities declared the area a restricted zone, the Sperrgebiet, and the town grew into a port for the diamond fields. Much of the architecture that visitors see on Diamond Hill dates from these years: the Goerke Haus, built in 1910 to a design by Otto Ertl, and the Felsenkirche, built from late 1911 and consecrated in 1912. Kolmanskop's richer deposits ran out after 1928 diamonds were found further south, and it was abandoned in 1956.
Today Lüderitz is a working fishing and harbour town of about 16,000 people, in a cold desert climate with about 17 mm of rain a year. Crayfish and oysters are part of local life and have their own festival each autumn, and in November the town's harbour lagoon hosts the Lüderitz Speed Challenge for windsurfers. Visitors come for Kolmanskop, Diaz Point, the Halifax Island penguins and the peninsula, and most stay several nights, since the nearest large town, Keetmanshoop, is about 350 km away by the B4.
Key Historical Places
The Evangelical Lutheran church on Diamond Hill, built in a vertical Gothic style from late 1911 and consecrated in 1912. Its altar window was donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II. It has been a national monument since 1978.
A national monument on Diamond Hill, designed by Otto Ertl in 1910 for Lieutenant Hans Goerke. It was restored in 1983 by Namdeb with period furnishings and now serves as a museum of local history.
The diamond-rush settlement founded in 1908 and abandoned in 1956, with a hospital, ballroom, casino and ice factory now filling with sand.
The site of the German concentration camp for Herero and Nama prisoners, March 1905 to April 1907. Today it is a campsite with memorials and plaques.
A red-and-white striped lighthouse, 28 m high, opened in 1915 on the peninsula west of the town, near the replica of the stone cross left by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias.
Timeline
Must-See Attractions
A former diamond-mining village in the Sperrgebiet, about 12 km from Lüderitz by road, where German-built houses, a ballroom, casino and hospital stand knee-deep in sand. A guided tour is included in the standard ticket, and the ticket doubles as your entry permit. A tavern in the casino's Champagne Bar and a curio shop are on site.
Open Mon–Fri 08:00–15:00 and Sat, Sun and public holidays 08:00–13:00. Guided tours (45–60 min, English and German) Mon–Sat at 09:30 and 11:00, Sundays and public holidays at 10:00. 2026/2027 prices: adults N$230, children 6–14 N$90, groups of 6+ N$330 each, photography day permit N$480 (sunrise to sunset, no night photography, no drones). Standard permit entry until 13:00 only. Buy online (WebTickets) or at the gate. Checked 13 October 2026
The vertical-Gothic Lutheran church on Diamond Hill, with a stained-glass altar window donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II. It looks over the town and harbour and is a short walk from the centre.
Opening times vary; ask at the tourist information office or the town council before you go
A headland on the Lüderitz peninsula with a red-and-white lighthouse (opened 1915) and a replica of the stone cross left by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias. A café stands near the cross, and cape fur seals are seen around the point.
Short drive from town; self-drive or on a local tour
A small rocky island joined to the town by a causeway, and the site of the German concentration camp where Herero and Nama prisoners were held from March 1905 to April 1907. Estimates of those who died range from about 1,000 to 3,000. A campsite now stands on the island, with memorials and historical plaques. Please visit quietly and respectfully.
Memorials and plaques on the island
A small town museum with displays on diamond mining, local history and natural history.
Open limited afternoon hours; hours differ between sources, so phone ahead (checked 13 October 2026)
A national monument on Diamond Hill, designed by Otto Ertl in 1910 for Lieutenant Hans Goerke and restored in 1983 with period furnishings. Inside, exhibits cover local history, natural history, indigenous peoples and diamond mining.
Phone ahead to arrange a visit outside standard hours (checked 13 October 2026)
The town's main beach on the peninsula road, used for swimming and walks. The Benguela Current keeps the water icy all year round.
An island in the bay with the largest African penguin colony in Namibia. It is seen from catamaran trips that leave the Lüderitz waterfront jetty at 08:00 and take about 2 hours, passing Shark Island and Diaz Point. Heaviside's dolphins and cape fur seals are often seen on the way.
Departure 08:00 from the waterfront jetty, about 2 hours, weather permitting (checked 13 October 2026)
Accommodation
The Cormorant House (self-catering), Lüderitz Excellent 9.2/10 self catering in Lüderitz, Namibia. 8 rooms. From ZAR 1,350/night. Property Details Type: Self Catering Guest Rating: 9.2/10 (Booking.com, 472 reviews) Price Range: ZAR 1,350 per night Check-in: 14:00-19:00 Check-out: 10:00 Rooms: 8 Amenities En-suite shower bathrooms, Kitchenette in every unit, Free Wi-Fi, Cable TV, Tea and coffee...
Island Cottage, Lüderitz Excellent 9.1/10 self catering in Lüderitz, Namibia. 3 rooms. From ZAR 1,460/night. Property Details Type: Self Catering Guest Rating: 9.1/10 (Booking.com, 176 reviews) Price Range: ZAR 1,460 per night Check-in: 14:00-19:00 Check-out: 10:00 Rooms: 3 Amenities Fully equipped kitchenettes (Seagull and Penguin; Flamingo has minimal cooking facilities), En-suite bathrooms, Satellite TV, Private...
Kairos Cottage B&B – Shark Island, Lüderitz Excellent 9.1/10 guest house in Lüderitz, Namibia. 5 rooms. Property Details Type: Guest House Guest Rating: 9.1/10 (Booking.com, 634 reviews) Check-in: 14:00 to 19:00 Check-out: 10:00 Rooms: 5 Amenities Free Wi-Fi, Tea and coffee facilities, Bar fridge in each room, TV with selected DStv channels, En-suite bathroom with...
Restaurants & Dining
A restaurant on the Lüderitz Waterfront with a view over the harbour.
A long-standing seafood restaurant in the town centre.
A bar and lounge in the town listed as open for evening service.
A coffee shop with a children's menu, vegan options and takeaway, taking card and mobile payments.
Activities & Experiences
The standard ticket includes a 45–60 minute guided tour in English or German, then time to wander the sand-filled houses on your own.
A two-hour catamaran trip from the waterfront jetty to the penguin colony, past Shark Island and Diaz Point.
A scenic drive west of town to the lighthouse and the replica Dias cross, with beaches and coastal wildlife on the way.
Climb to the Felsenkirche and the Goerke Haus for views over the harbour and a look at Lüderitz's German-era architecture.
Read the plaques and see the memorials at the site of the 1905–1907 concentration camp. It is also a campsite, so be quiet and respectful.
Every November the world's fastest windsurfers race a purpose-built canal in the second lagoon of the harbour. The 2025 event ran from 3 to 30 November.
Events & Entertainment
A 10-day seafood festival celebrating the town's crayfish, with a beach bash, music, a Miss Crayfish pageant, motor sport, an SME market and a business conference. The 19th edition in 2026 was held at the Old Power Station; the 2025 edition was at the Waterfront. Dates and venue change each year.
An annual windsurfing speed event on a purpose-built canal in the harbour's second lagoon, where world records have been set.
Book mixed tickets and experiences for your trip to Lüderitz
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