Swakopmund declared Africa's 'most adventurous' destination

Namibia has secured a firm place on the map of global adventure tourism. This is evidenced not only by an award at the 2025 Africa Tourism Awards, but also by a recommendation from the Lonely Planet travel guide for 2026.

Excitement created by one of the 'Little Five' of wildlife on an adventurous 'Living Desert Tour' in the dune belt south of Swakopmund. Photo: Namibian.org

The coastal town of Swakopmund has been declared Africa's best adventure tourism destination for 2025 – by receiving an Africa Tourism Award. The list of award winners was published yesterday on the website ATCNews.org.

Swakopmund offers visitors a range of activities. These include guided city and township tours, as well as desert excursions and scenic flights that also take in Sossusvlei and the coast.

For adrenaline-pumping experiences, there are quad bike drives through the dunes, paragliding and skydiving. Just 30 km away is the port town of Walvis Bay, where you can join boat trips and kayaking tours to seal colonies.

Excitement created by one of the 'Little Five' of wildlife on an adventurous 'Living Desert Tour' in the dune belt south of Swakopmund. Photo: Namibian.org

Balearica Awards gala evening in London

 Balearica Award for Swakopmund as Africa's best adventure destination 2025: The Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), Sebulon Chicalu, accepts the award in London. Photo: Screenshot from the news portal "The Brief".

The awards, also known as the Balearica Awards, were presented at a ceremony in London on November 2nd. Sebulon Chicalu, CEO of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), accepted the trophy, a stylised crowned crane (species name Balearica), on behalf of Swakopmund.

According to a report by the Namibian news portal "The Brief", the award reinforces the NTB's efforts to establish Namibia as a leading adventure travel destination. It also recognises Namibia's commitment to sustainable, community-oriented, and innovative tourism.

The Balearica Awards (Africa Tourism Awards) were presented in 29 categories. In the 13 destination categories, only one other city was awarded besides Swakopmund (best adventure destination): Cape Town, as Africa's best city destination. Mauritius was recognised as best country destination, and Morocco as best cultural destination.

Namibia on Lonely Planet's 'Best of' List

The international travel guide 'Lonely Planet' recommends Namibia as a travel destination. On its website, Namibia appears on its list of the 25 best destinations worldwide for 2026.

Again, also with Lonely Planet, the land of endless horizons scored highly for its exceptional experiences. Namibia appears on the list with the tracking of 'desert elephants' in the northwest of the country.