Terrace Bay is a handful of buildings on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, and it is as remote as a place can be while still having a name. The coast here is one of the harshest in the world: cold Atlantic water, thick fog rolling in from the Benguela current, and the dunes of the Namib running straight to the sea. The name Skeleton Coast comes from the whalebones and shipwrecks that litter the shore, and from the sailors who survived the wrecks only to die in the desert. The area is part of the Skeleton Coast National Park, and a permit is needed to enter, so plan this properly with a booking, because it is a tightly controlled area.
There is no town nearby. Terrace Bay was built as a base for diamond prospectors in the 1950s, and it is now a small tourist camp, with a few simple rooms, a bar and a gravel airstrip. Fuel is a serious matter: the nearest reliable supplies are at Henties Bay or Khorixas, far away, so riders carry extra and plan their range with care. A satellite phone or at least a tracking beacon is sensible. The gravel roads are made of salt and clay, often hard and flat, but soft sand and washouts can appear.
The ride along the coast is stark and beautiful. The salt road runs beside a grey sea, with fog banks lying offshore and then burning off in the afternoon. You may see seal colonies, particularly at Cape Cross, where tens of thousands of Cape fur seals crowd the beach, and the smell is overwhelming. Desert-adapted elephants, lions and rhinos live in the dry riverbeds further north, though sightings on the coast are rare. The light, in the late afternoon, makes the dunes glow gold and the sea turn pewter.
Wind is the constant companion, and temperatures swing from cold mornings to hot afternoons inland. Carry plenty of water, spare tyres, tools and a good map. Avoid driving in the dark, and do not leave the road, as the desert crust is fragile. It is a place of silence, with only the sound of the surf, and it is better enjoyed with respect and preparation.