Experience a wildlife getaway in Mozambique at Maputo National Park
Looking for a safari to Maputo National Park in Mozambique and Maputo National Park Accommodation? We offer the very best Mozambique wildlife adventures and holiday packages with free advice on where to stay. So, if you need accommodation at safari camps in Maputo Reserve then get in touch and we will be happy to assist you. Discover the biodiverse beauty of Mozambique’s Maputo National Park just outside of Maputo and very close to Ponta do Ouro and the Kosi Bay border post. Experience a unique sandy and humid habitat and wonderful elephant herds meandering through swamp forests and grasslands. Easy to get to on a self drive holiday from South Africa it is fast becoming the go to safari destination in Southern Africa. You will need 4×4 to explore the park and it’s amazing biodiversity.
Rare Wildlife and Ecosystems and Maputo National Park Accommodation
Maputo National Park (formerly known as Maputo Elephant Reserve and Maputo Special Reserve ) began in 1932 as a 1 040 square km nature reserve located on Maputo Bay, about 100 kilometers southeast of the capital city. The Maputo Elephant reserve aimed to protect a small population of coastal elephants’ resident in the area and now the larger park combines lakes, wetlands, swamp forests, grasslands and mangrove forests with a coastline that lies within the Maputaland Centre of Endemism.
Much of the wildlife in Maputo Special Reserve died out during the 1970s civil war but the animals are slowly returning. This is thanks to the merging of the small reserve with the incredible Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve into one land and marine conservation area called Maputo National Park. This larger 1700 square km marine and terrestrial conservation area is managed by the Peace Parks and the National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) in Mozambique.
Tourists look out for elephants, all kinds of ungulates, giraffes, warthogs, zebras and water buffalo from their cars. Be aware that a 4×4 is vital to navigate the thick sandy tracks and it is easy to get stuck in the middle of nowhere without any communication.
Anvil Bay Ponta Chemucane
The highlights of a holiday to Maputo National Park Mozambique
- Game viewing endangered wildlife in beautiful marine, coastal, wetland, grassland, forest and mangrove biomes.
- Magnificent untouched beaches in Maputo Special Reserve (Known before as Maputo Elephant Reserve)
- 4×4 tracks for adventurers
- Sightings of whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, whale sharks and more in the oceans around the park
- Opportunities to support the marine and coastal environmental towards responsible tourism initiatives
- A choice of camping in nature or staying in luxury chalets right on the beach.
Maputo National Park Facts and Figures
- This incredible environmental initiative is a huge plus for Mozambique wildlife, ecosystems and tourism economic development. National parks are vital green lungs kept aside for pristine nature and to educate people about the vital connections between nature and all life.
- The park will be open to recreation and tourism to ensure that the natural ecosystem services within the natural areas remain intact for wildlife. The park will also benefit communities living nearby with access to food, water and economic development.
- Maputo National Park is one of the only 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world which means that it has huge value to people and planet (sustainable tourism).
- The Peace Parks has been busy since 2010 rewilding the park with 5 000 animals and 11 new species that had become extinct here before such as cheetahs. There are now some 16 000 animals in the park that rely on the healthy management of the ecosystems – coastal lakes, wetlands, grasslands, swamp forests, and mangrove forests.
- The beaches of the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve are Mozambique’s most vital breeding grounds for the endangered leatherback and loggerhead turtles while other important species are endemic to the ocean here such as whales, dugongs, sharks and the largest group of giant trevallies in the world.
- The park aims to develop three lodges, several top-notch camping sites, and 4×4 trails for adventure seekers. So far, the only luxury lodge within the park is the private Anvil Bay.
Accommodation at Luxury Anvil Bay in the Maputo Special Reserve
Discover an exclusive hideaway for discerning nature lovers at amazing Anvil Bay, Chemucane, within the Maputo National Park. It was carefully built with as little disturbance as possible on the natural environment and boasts 9 stylish chalets or Casinhas hiding on stilts in the lush dune forests a few metres from the white sandy beach.
Find everything you need here, in this luxurious hideout in the middle of nowhere, where the wild animals roam: fine linen, large beds, indoor and outdoor showers, Wi-Fi, a mini bar, private deck and your own dining area for plenty of romance. There is also a tented camp and a restaurant!
Feel right at home here in a lodge where only you and your friends or family can stay for an exclusive holiday in a Mozambican beach paradise. Stand up paddle boarding, body surfing, wind surfing, sea kayaking and snorkelling will fill your days with wonderful sights and sounds. Find the reserve on our map here.
This is your customised beach and safari experience all in one: the untouched beaches are part of the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve where marine animals are protected, and tourists learn more about their habits and habitats. A true bush & beach destination offering honeymoon bliss packages, family fun and spa treatments for the ultimate pamper in paradise. Even business delegates can get down to serious work in a conference venue with ocean views and fresh seafood lunches!
The Maputo Special Reserve is now part of the Maputo National Park, a larger marine, coastal and inland reserve set aside for beautiful land and ocean creatures. Tourists and communities benefit from the conservation of nature. Book your special package safari trip to this park soon and see the wonderful wildlife on land and in the ocean.