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Il Namib desert It is one of oldest in the world, arid for around 80 million years, still manages to fascinate millions of tourists.
Its imposing orange dunes they are among the most iconic places in the whole of Namibia. In the Nama language, Namib means “vast place” and gives a perfect idea of the immensity of this sprawling and arid landscape.
The fauna and flora of the Namib Desert have adapted to these unforgiving conditions, where humidity comes largely from morning fog that washes into the ocean along the Skeleton Coast. Here it is possible to find a fair number of unique species, endemic to the region, such as the strange Welwitschia plant, while other resistant animal species such as the ostrich, the kudu, the gemsbok and the springbok.
A large part of the Namib Desert is protected by the Namib Naukluft National Park, and while most regions are inaccessible, some areas of the park are perpetually busy, including the Moon Landscape, Sesriem Canyon e Sossusvlei.
One of the most visited regions of the Namib Desert is that of Sossusvlei, with its spectacular red and burnt orange dunes, due to the presence of a high percentage of iron in the sand. Some of the dunes in Sossusvlei are among the highest in the world and reach heights of approximately 380 metres. One of the most photographed dunes, Duna 45, it is also one of the easiest and most accessible dunes to climb and offers spectacular scenery when viewed from above.
It is located near Sossusvlei deadadvlei, another very attractive area for an excursion in the Namib Desert. This glittering salt pan it was once an oasis, with several large acacia trees. The river that fed this oasis later dried up, leaving the remains of these dead and blackened acacia trees that contrast with the white of the salt pan and the burnt orange of the dunes.
Another exciting journey is the one that takes you through the ancient canyons of Moon Valley, one of the most fascinating areas of the Namibian desert. Here it seems like we are going back millions of years, when the indigenous people roamed southern Africa. This spectacular area is also home to some wildlife and smaller creatures, such as chameleons and beetles.
