Spitzkoppe Campsites & Cabins

The stay

Camping in a granite landscape

Spitzkoppe is a cluster of bald granite domes standing alone on the plains between Usakos and Swakopmund. The highest peak reaches 1,784 m above sea level — roughly 700 m above the desert floor — and the rock itself is around 700 million years old. The whole reserve is a protected heritage site, run by the local community in the ≠Gaingu Conservancy.

Spitzkoppe Rest Camp is the original community campsite. Its pitches are scattered widely across the reserve: tucked between oversized boulders, under old shade trees, beside shallow caves or facing open views across the plains. With kilometres between some sites, it often feels as if you have the mountain to yourself.

For a little more comfort, Spitzkoppe Cabin Camp sits inside the same reserve and is reached through the same gate. Its twelve cabins keep the spirit of camping — shared hot showers, cooking on your own fire — but you sleep in a proper bed with linen provided.

This page covers the campsites and the cabins only. Spitzkoppen Lodge is a separate, guests-only property.

What to do

Why stay at Spitzkoppe?

You can see the peaks from the B2 on the drive between Windhoek and Swakopmund, but a glimpse from the road misses the point. The magic of Spitzkoppe is in the low light: the granite turning orange at sunset, a walk among the boulders at first light, and a night sky with almost no light pollution at all.

The rocks hold the day's heat, so hikes and climbs are best early in the morning or late in the afternoon. In between there is the restaurant lapa at reception — a relaxed, shebeen-style spot for a light lunch, a cold drink and, later, the best sundowner in camp.

Before you book

• The park entrance fee is included for campers and cabin guests; one permit is issued per vehicle
• Campsites are first come, first chosen — you book space, not a specific site
• No water or electricity at the campsites — fill up at reception and bring everything you need
• Cabins and campsites cannot be combined in one group booking
• The restaurant serves breakfast, light lunches and dinner; book meals at reception on arrival. Braai packs are on sale too
• There is no Wi-Fi at the campsites; you can get connected at reception and the restaurant
• Spitzkoppe is a protected heritage site — do not touch the rock paintings, or camp or make fires near them

Activities

• Rock climbing on the Gross Spitzkoppe, the Pondok Mountains and surrounding domes — bring your own equipment
• Guided walks with local guides to the rock art and through the boulders
• Stargazing under one of the darkest skies anywhere
• Birdwatching — especially good after rain; look for sociable weaver nests
• Photography at sunrise and sunset
• Sundowners at the restaurant lapa

Things to see nearby

• The Rock Arch, the reserve's best-known photograph
• Bushman's Paradise and its rock paintings
• The Golden Snake painting
• The Pondok Mountains and the natural rock pools
• Klein Spitzkoppe, towards Henties Bay
• The community rock and gem stalls

Getting there

• In the Erongo Region, between Usakos and Swakopmund — about 40 km by road from Usakos
• Turn off the B2 west of Usakos onto the gravel D1918 towards Henties Bay, then onto the D3716 to the Spitzkoppe gate
• The gravel roads to reception are fine for a sedan car; some tracks inside the reserve are rougher
• Check in at Spitzkoppe Rest Camp reception; cabin guests enter through the same gate
• GPS: 21°50′23.2″S, 15°12′05.8″E (−21.83977, 15.20162) — open in Google Maps