Choose Port Nolloth for a straightforward overnight before the Richtersveld, or McDougalls Bay if you want to spend the evening on the coast. The bay is just south of town, so the choice is less about shaving kilometres off tomorrow's drive and more about how you want to arrive, eat and get ready for the next day. If you plan to camp, make sure the caravan park confirms a pitch and the facilities you need before committing to that stop.

Choose the base that fits your arrival

The Richtersveld Municipality's accommodation directory lists both town accommodation and the McDougalls Bay caravan park and chalets. Search the two areas separately and check the property's street address. A listing headed Port Nolloth can still be in the bay. The municipality's town page has downloadable maps for orientation.

A town stay suits a late afternoon arrival when you want a room already arranged and need to collect food or supplies. Make those stops on the way to your room if they close before you expect to check in. If you are booking a self-catering place, ask what you need to bring for dinner and breakfast. A place that suits a holiday week may be less convenient for a quick arrival and early departure if you still have shopping to do.

McDougalls Bay suits a different evening. Arrive with your supplies and leave time to see the Atlantic shore or settle in before dark. The bay has private self-catering options as well as municipal accommodation. Voetbaai Self-Catering Cottages, for example, lists its cottages on Voetbaai Street in McDougalls Bay. Check the provider's terms and access for your group before choosing, particularly if you have a trailer or need step-free entry. A photograph of the beach cannot tell you what the parking, steps or approach to a particular cottage are like.

Find out exactly what the caravan park can book

The municipal caravan park page provides a booking contact, but its short published text under the camping heading refers to family chalets. Ask the office explicitly about a camping pitch for your dates, including whether your setup fits, which section is available, what facilities are open, and when you can arrive. A chalet tariff cannot be used to work out a campsite price.

If power, drinking water or working shared facilities determine whether you can camp comfortably, name those needs. A site description that shows a tap or a power point doesn't establish what is available at a particular pitch. If you plan to arrive after the office closes, get a clear answer about key or gate arrangements. Treat an unanswered enquiry as a reason to keep looking for a confirmed overnight.

Give yourself a practical backup. Compare one chalet in the bay and one self-catering room in town against the cost of the pitch. This is especially helpful if you're already carrying camping gear for the park and only need a place to sleep and prepare breakfast. Check when each booking can be changed and whether parking works with your vehicle and equipment. Then you can decide on the evening you want without having to find a replacement bed on arrival.

A coastal street in Port Nolloth beside palms and a weathered blue car — A Port Nolloth coastal street, 11 August 2011. Archival photograph by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0. Shown as a resized web reproduction.

Build tomorrow around your actual Richtersveld destination

Port Nolloth can be a sensible staging point if the Atlantic coast is already part of your route. If you are coming from inland and only need an overnight before entering the park, compare it with an inland stop using your exact starting point and destination. The detour may make sense for a coastal evening and less sense for a late check-in followed by immediate departure.

The wider Richtersveld and the national park have different destinations and access arrangements. For a park booking, start with the SANParks park page and identify the reception or camp on your confirmation. A bed in Port Nolloth does not settle what roads you may use, whether your vehicle suits the next leg or what time you must arrive. Read our separate Richtersveld self-drive preparation guide before finalising the park section.

Two ways to use the same overnight

Arrive, resupply and leave early. Book a town room with an arrival time you can meet. Shop before check-in, or bring what you will need if you are arriving after local businesses close. Keep breakfast simple, prepare the next day's directions that evening, and verify where your next confirmed supply stop will be. This works when most of your holiday time belongs to the Richtersveld leg.

Make the coast part of the holiday. Book a confirmed bay pitch or cottage, arrive with food, and leave a window to enjoy the shore from public areas. If the following day's arrival is fixed, use the evening as your coast time. If you can leave later, a slow breakfast or a short look at town can make the visit feel less like a transfer. Plan coastal time around actual wind and visibility, and check local notices before any water activity.

Either way, book the next day's accommodation or park entry first when that arrival controls your schedule. Then pick an overnight that leaves enough margin. A good staging stop is one where the pitch or room, check-in and next leg all work together.

If the trip continues south to the Cape Peninsula, check Aqua Terra availability in Simon's Town for that separate stage. Aqua Terra welcomes guests aged 12 and older.

Aqua Terra editorial review, 3 November 2026. Featured image shows the beach north of Port Nolloth, 11 August 2011. Archival photo by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized or cropped for featured display.