The red-and-white striped lighthouse at the Mole is one of Swakopmund's most recognisable landmarks. Built in 1902 and heightened in 1910, it stands about 28 metres tall and is still operational as an active navigational aid — though the harbour that justified it never really functioned. On clear days it is visible for miles along the coast; on the fog-bound mornings that define much of the Swakopmund year, it disappears entirely, which is its own kind of atmosphere.
The lighthouse is not open to the public but sits adjacent to the museum complex at the Mole, making it easy to include in a short walk that also covers the Swakopmund Museum, the Palm Beach area, and the jetty. Photographers will want the early morning light, when the red and white stripes glow against the desert sky and the Atlantic.