Fish River Canyon: Beyond Spectacular Scenery

The largest canyon in Africa provides travellers with more than simply amazing views. Granted, the sunrises and the sunsets here are fantastic, but the canyon also has an interesting history, it could awaken an interest in geology in you which you didn’t know you had before and it provides you with some excellent hiking opportunities. You can visit the canyon for example on this self-drive tour and this guided tour in southern Namibia.

The Fish River Canyon has an interesting origin story. The local Nama believed that there was a giant snake which inhabited this area and caused untold misery upon their people. So, they assembled all the warriors from all the tribes and with spears, bows, and arrows they confronted the snake. The battle was fierce and many brave warriors died until finally, the Nama were able to tie the snake down with the ropes which they had thrown over it. The snake struggled to free itself and twisted and turned and in the process of doing so, dug deep rifts into the ground. It dug itself so deep into the ground that it created the canyon which we now refer to as the Fish River Canyon. Although undoubtably a great story, modern geologists tend to disagree…

The Fish River Canyon is actually two canyons, appearing at first as one. The upper canyon started forming approximately 650 million years ago when the original flow of the Fish River began eroding a broad, but not very deep riverbed. The erosion process simply followed the path of least resistance, as it encountered hard quartzite layers in its depths, thereby forming the flat upper plain you can see today. This changed however, approximately 150 million years ago. With the process of the giant continent Gondwana breaking up, today’s continents of South America and Ocean began to split off Africa. This shifting of landmasses went hand in hand with land uplifts, which made the gradient of the Fish River steeper and thereby increased the strength of its flow. With this increase in power, the river was able to break through the hard quartzite layers below and penetrate deeper into the earth. The extremely dry climate in the region exposes the bare rock formations of the Fish River Canyon with little or no vegetation to cover it. Each rocky layer can be seen as easily as wrinkles on a face. This makes the Fish River Canyon a dream for all (hobby) geologists who want to learn more about the unique history of the canyon and its origins.

For those who want to stretch their legs and get active, the canyon offers amazing hiking possibilities. Ranging from multiple day hikes in the canyon itself to day hikes in the canyon or on the canyon rim. The hike through the canyon riverbed stretches for 80 to 90 kilometre and takes around four to five days to complete. You will not only witness breath-taking scenery, but also experience the natural calmness and peacefulness that comes from spending time outdoors. Along the way, you will come across hot springs in places such as ‘Sulphur Springs’, a few kilometres south of the main lookout point. Eventually, this epic multiple day hiking trail ends at /Ai-/Ais, where the nearby resort of the same name offers pools of hot spring water, modern spa facilities as well as lodging and camping facilities.

There are several accommodation options available to travels who wish to spend some time exploring the Fish River Canyon. The Gondwana Canyon Village and the Fish River Lodge on the western side are both very good choices and allow you to be pampered or go on adventurous activities – all depending on what it is that you are after. The quirky Canyon Roadhouse is also worth a visit, even if you’re not staying there.

A visit of the Fish River Canyon is certainly worth it for any traveller. The grandeur of the canyon makes you want to soak in the sunrises and the sunsets and will motivate you to not only explore the canyon, but also to learn more about its creation. As is so often the case in life, reading about it is one thing, but experiencing it for yourself is something different entirely.