Namakwa

Namakwa is a district in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is a land of ancient history, lava mountains that display impossible rock formations, and nature reserves that are full of game and birdlife. Huge areas are blanketed by unusual vegetation, and in spring, the desert comes to life in a brilliant display of flowers that has become world renowned.

Namakwa in Spring

Towns

• 1 Alexander Bay — a developing ecotourism destination
• 2 Bitterfontein — a quiet village Knersvlakte, which forms part of the Succulent Karoo biome, with over a 1000 succulent species
• 3 Port Nolloth — this formerly busy port now caters mainly to fishing and small-vessel tourism with a number of holiday homes and a caravan park
• 4 Springbok — especially in spring, visitors are drawn for the area's high floral diversity; almost half of the plant species here are found nowhere else in the world
• 5 Sutherland — home to the South African Large Telescope

Other destinations

• 1 Namaqua National Park - famous for the flowering in Spring (also known as Skilpad Wildflower Reserve)
• 2 Goegap Nature Reserve — home to the Hester Malan Wild Flower Garden, with outcrops of granite, is covered in spring flowers like irises and orchids
• 3 Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park — a UNESCO World Heritage site that straddles the border with Namibia

Understand

• Namakwa Tourism. (updated Apr 2021)