Port Nolloth

Situated on an arid and barren coastal plain, Port Nolloth has a strangely industrial desert atmosphere, yet it still holds some fascination to the visitor.

The beach may look enticing, but the Benguela Current sweeping up the coast keeps the water at an icy 16°C at the warmest. Rainfall is about 45mm a year, mostly from sea mists that encroach from February to July, covering the coast in a fine layer of moisture.

Port Nolloth initially served the copper-mining industry, but received a new lease on life with the discovery of alluvial diamonds along the coast of Namaqualand in 1926. The diamond industry is heavily protected - the fences running north along the coast road are not to keep anything in; they are to keep you out.

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