Maputo National Park (Maputo Special Reserve): Travel Guide: History & Culture
Discover Maputo National Park (Maputo Special Reserve): Travel Guide
Maputo National Park, about 100 km southeast of Maputo city, protects the last coastal wilderness at Mozambique’s southern tip: dune forest, wetlands, mangroves and a long, empty Indian Ocean beach. First proclaimed in 1932 as the Maputo Elephant Reserve, it was known as the Maputo Special Reserve from 1969 until a 2021 merger with the neighbouring Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve created the present, larger park.
Maputo National Park at a glance
- Country: Mozambique
- Province: Maputo
- Original reserve proclaimed: 1932 (as Maputo Elephant Reserve)
- Renamed Maputo Special Reserve: 1969
- Merged into Maputo National Park: 7 December 2021
- Area: 1,718 km² (merging a 1,040 km² land reserve with a 678 km² marine reserve)
- Elephant population: roughly 400, rebuilt from a small, traumatised post-war herd
From elephant reserve to transboundary World Heritage Site
The reserve was first proclaimed in 1932 to protect a small population of coastal elephants, and renamed the Maputo Special Reserve in 1969. Mozambique’s civil war devastated the park’s wildlife, and serious rehabilitation only began around 2010, through a co-management partnership between the Mozambican government and the Peace Parks Foundation. Since 2014, elephant herds have moved across the reopened border from South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park, helping rebuild the local population to around 400 animals. On 7 December 2021, the land reserve merged with the adjoining Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve to form the single Maputo National Park, combining savanna, wetland, dune forest, beach and coral reef in one protected area.
In July 2025, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee approved the extension of South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site to include Maputo National Park, creating one transboundary World Heritage property spanning almost 400,000 hectares across the two countries — the first natural World Heritage Site recognition to include Mozambican territory.
Wildlife
Alongside its rebuilding elephant population, the park protects a range of savanna and wetland species; a 2025 aerial census recorded roughly 32,800 game animals across the park, reflecting years of reintroduction work carried out with Peace Parks Foundation. The park’s marine section, inherited from the former Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, protects reefs, seagrass beds and nesting sea turtles, and is known for dolphin sightings and, seasonally, migrating humpback whales.
What to see and do
Game drives
Self-drive and guided game drives through the park’s dune forest and grassland are the main way to see the rebuilding elephant herds and other wildlife.
Beach and marine activities
The park’s marine section, adjoining Ponta do Ouro, offers diving, snorkelling and dolphin-watching along the same reef system covered on this site’s separate Ponta do Ouro attraction page.
Birdwatching
The mix of wetland, mangrove, dune forest and coastal habitat supports a wide range of waterbirds and forest species, part of what made the extended area attractive as a World Heritage extension.
Getting there
The park lies south of Maputo city, reached by road via Catembe and the southern coastal route; a 4×4 is recommended for sections of soft sand track within the park. Maputo International Airport (MPM) is the nearest airport with scheduled international connections. Confirm current road and border-crossing conditions directly with a tour operator or the park authority before a self-drive visit, as this research pass did not verify exact current drive times.
Best time to visit
May to November, the dry season, gives easier driving conditions and more comfortable temperatures than the hot, wet summer months.
Where to stay
The park has a small amount of accommodation within its boundaries, with a wider range of lodges available nearby at Ponta do Ouro, covered separately on this site. No specific Maputo National Park property was independently verified against this site’s rating threshold in this research pass, so none is named here.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Maputo National Park and where is it located?
Maputo National Park covers 1,718 km², combining a 1,040 km² land reserve with a 678 km² marine component. It lies about 100 km southeast of Maputo city, on Mozambique’s southern coast.
What is the history behind Maputo National Park?
The area was first proclaimed the Maputo Elephant Reserve in 1932 to protect a small population of coastal elephants, renamed the Maputo Special Reserve in 1969, and civil war devastated its wildlife until rehabilitation began around 2010 through a co-management partnership between the Mozambican government and the Peace Parks Foundation. On 7 December 2021, the land reserve merged with the adjoining Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve to form the present-day Maputo National Park.
Is Maputo National Park a World Heritage Site?
In July 2025, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee approved extending South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site to include Maputo National Park, creating one transboundary World Heritage property of almost 400,000 hectares spanning both countries — the first natural World Heritage Site recognition to include Mozambican territory.
What wildlife can visitors see in Maputo National Park?
Elephant herds have been crossing the reopened border from South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park since 2014, helping rebuild the local population to around 400 animals. A 2025 aerial census recorded roughly 32,800 game animals across the park. The marine section protects reefs, seagrass beds and nesting sea turtles, and is known for dolphin sightings and, seasonally, migrating humpback whales.
What is the best time to visit Maputo National Park?
May to November, the dry season, gives easier driving conditions and more comfortable temperatures than the hot, wet summer months.
Where can visitors stay near Maputo National Park?
The park has a small amount of accommodation within its boundaries, with a wider range of lodges available nearby at Ponta do Ouro.
Elephant game drives, Dune forest and wetland birdwatching, Marine reef diving and dolphin-watching, iSimangaliso-Maputo transboundary World Heritage Site (2025)