Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia

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National Parks are the most visited places in almost any city they are in, thanks to the fact that they are spectacular regardless of their size. Today I would like to write about one that has caught my attention because of how curious it is, and it is that it is not a park like the others. I’m talking about the Skeleton Coast National Park, which is in Namibia .

It is located on the Skeleton Coast , in the northwest of the country, bordering Angola. Although by name it seems that it has to do with piracy, the truth is that it has nothing to do with it. In fact, it is named after the many sailors who lost their lives centuries ago due to shipwrecks caused by the large waves in the area.

His story

Here the remains of ships that are up to five centuries old are preserved, but also others that ran aground on the coast just a few years ago. To remember that this was a deadly zone for many years, at the entrance to the park there are skulls and tibias typical of pirates. Today, this area is totally desolate and nothing remains of that macabre time.

The park

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Skeleton Park has 20,000 square kilometers. The two-thirds that are in the northern part of the park are classified as wild area , so they can only be visited with a special permit. The other third can be covered without any problem, although you must take a series of precautions since there are many wild animals.

Of interest

Among the most interesting things in the park are the Hoarisib Clay Castles, which are meandering clay formations that were carved out naturally. It is also worth seeing the salt flats of Mount Agate , which is one of the most spectacular places in the park. Of course, there will be no shortage of wild animals, such as elephants, sea lions or giraffes, which are the ones that have the most presence.