Quick answer: Mozambique is home to nine major national parks, including Gorongosa, Limpopo, Banhine, Zinave, Bazaruto, Quirimbas, Maputo, Chimanimani, and Mágoè. These protected areas range from the restored savannas of Gorongosa to the coral reefs of the Bazaruto Archipelago and the coastal lakes of Maputo National Park. In addition to these parks, the country features expansive protected areas like the Niassa Special Reserve.
National Parks of Mozambique: A Visitor's Guide to Every Park
By Anselmo Boaventura
Mozambique has some of the most varied protected areas in Africa — from the restored savannas of Gorongosa to coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Many of them were badly damaged during the civil war, and several are now in the middle of one of the continent's great wildlife comebacks. Here is a plain guide to each one.
Quick overview
| Park | Province | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Gorongosa National Park | Sofala | Africa's best-known wildlife restoration story, Mount Gorongosa rainforest |
| Limpopo National Park | Gaza | Part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park with South Africa's Kruger |
| Banhine National Park | Gaza | Seasonal wetlands and grasslands, birdlife |
| Zinave National Park | Inhambane | Large-scale rewilding with translocated animals |
| Bazaruto Archipelago National Park | Inhambane | Islands, coral reefs, dugongs, dhow trips |
| Maputo National Park | Maputo | Elephants, coastal lakes and the Ponta do Ouro marine area, close to the capital |
| Quirimbas National Park | Cabo Delgado | Islands, mangroves and reefs in the far north |
| Chimanimani National Park | Manica | Mountains, forests and hiking on the Zimbabwe border |
| Mágoè National Park | Tete | Remote bush along Lake Cahora Bassa |
| Niassa Special Reserve (reserve, not a national park) | Niassa & Cabo Delgado | One of Africa's largest wild areas |
Gorongosa National Park
Gorongosa, in central Mozambique near Beira, is the park most visitors know. Wildlife numbers collapsed during the war; since the restoration project began in the 2000s, populations of waterbuck, buffalo, elephants and other species have recovered, and predators such as lions have rebounded. What makes Gorongosa special is that it treats the communities around the park as part of the project — schools, health care, and farming programmes in the buffer zone, including coffee grown under the rainforest canopy on Mount Gorongosa.
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Limpopo, Banhine and Zinave
These three parks in the south form a chain of wild land between Kruger and the coast. Limpopo is linked to Kruger as part of a transfrontier park. Zinave has received hundreds of translocated animals in recent years in one of Africa's largest rewilding efforts. Banhine's seasonal wetlands attract large numbers of birds after the rains.
Bazaruto and Maputo: the coast
Bazaruto Archipelago, off Vilankulo, is famous for turquoise water, sand dunes and one of the last viable dugong populations on the East African coast. Maputo National Park, a short drive south of the capital, combines elephants and coastal lakes with the marine area around Ponta do Ouro, known for dolphins, turtles and diving.
The north: Quirimbas and Niassa
Quirimbas protects islands, mangroves and reefs in Cabo Delgado, and Niassa Special Reserve is one of the largest protected wild areas in Africa. Both are remote and beautiful — but check your government's current travel advice for Cabo Delgado and Niassa before planning a trip, because security in parts of the north has been unstable.
Parks and farmers: two sides of the same land
Every park in Mozambique has farming families on its edges. When elephants raid a maize field, a family can lose a whole season's food. When wildlife disappears, tourism jobs disappear too. Good conservation and good farming depend on each other:
- Farmers in buffer zones need better seed and better yields on less land, so the forest is not cleared for new fields.
- Tourism and ranger jobs give rural families income beyond the harvest — read what anti-poaching rangers actually earn.
- Restoring land, not expanding it, is the long-term answer — see our guide The Nature of Mozambican Agricultural Land.
How you can help without visiting
If you love Mozambique's wild places, one of the most practical ways to protect them is to help the farmers who live beside them grow more food on the land they already have. Our Sponsor a Farmer programme pays for seed and inputs for smallholder families. It is a gift, not an investment.
Frequently asked questions
How many national parks does Mozambique have? Mozambique has around ten national parks — including Gorongosa, Limpopo, Banhine, Zinave, Bazaruto, Quirimbas, Maputo, Chimanimani and Mágoè — plus large reserves such as Niassa.
Which is the best park for a first safari? Gorongosa for classic wildlife and community projects; Maputo National Park if you are short on time and staying in the capital.
Which park is best for the ocean? Bazaruto Archipelago for islands and dugongs; the Ponta do Ouro area of Maputo National Park for diving and dolphins.
Can I work or volunteer in a Mozambican park? Yes, in some cases — see our guide to working with animals in Mozambique.
Park access, fees and security change. Always confirm with the park and your government's travel advice before you go.