Gabon on the Atlantic Coast

Gabon is a country in Central Africa on the Atlantic Coast. It has a large diversity of wildlife and many wonderful national parks.

Libreville the Capital of Gabon

The National Museum of Arts and Tradition offers exhibits of tribal crafts like masks and wood-carving artifacts.

The open-air market Mont-Bouet sells a wide range of goods from household items to local produce and even traditional medicine.

Pointe Denis Beach lies on the shores of a nearby island that fronts Libreville City. Just a short 30-minute boat ride will take you there. Here you can relax on the sandy, sunny shores. Tourists enjoy many water activities such as snorkeling, swimming, boating, and more. From here you can get an unobstructed view of Libreville’s interesting coastal structures and skyline.

The majestic Palais Presidential was built by President Bongo in the 1970s. It is an impressive architectural structure right in the heart of Libreville. Visitors aren’t permitted inside.

L'Eglise St-Michel is an important landmark. It is known for its 31 tall, wooden carved columns. It is said that a blind man carved them. These artistic columns are well maintained.

The Ministry of Forestry and Environment is a colorful building and a unique interpretation of nature and Gabonese culture. It is fast becoming a tourist attraction.

Ministry of Mines and Petrol is a remarkable building with a unique shape and coloring. It is one of the most photographed buildings in the city.

Along Boulevard Triomphal you can see major landmarks and government buildings. There are also many hotels, restaurants, and hypermarkets.

Arboretum de Sibang is a protected rainforest park located just 5 km from Libreville. It features guided tours and showcases many of Gabon’s tree species. The country is known for its high percentage of natural resources, among the highest in Africa.

Seaside Boulevard has a wide grass path along the coast. Here you can find seats to relax upon and see beautiful trees, mini-parks, and unique sculptures along the bay. Both locals and tourists come here to relax, take a walk, or ride bikes.

Taking a Look at Gabon

Loango National Park one of Africa’s best safari experiences awaits you here. The park has a lush landscape and lots of wildlife. Here you’ll find almost 200 km of uninhabited shoreline. The park has forests, lagoons, wetlands, and savannahs.

Visitors can see hippos, gorillas, elephants and along the beach whales, dolphins, buffalo, and more. The park also has a catch-and-release fishing program for sport fishermen.

Pongara National Park has a diverse landscape of forest, mangrove flats, beaches, and savannah. Here are many different bird species among them the threatened Damara terns.

The forest is full of monkeys, duikers, buffalo, elephants, and chimpanzees.

Pongara Point beach area is home to endangered leatherback turtles. This is where they come ashore to lay eggs.

Fernan Vaz Lagoon is the highlight of the Ogooue Maritime region. It was named after the Portuguese explorer who discovered it in the 15th century.

On Gorilla Island, the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project (PGFA) runs a sanctuary and reintroduction center. There are two gorillas here, helping to educate visitors on the plight of these wonderful animals. Another eight orphaned gorillas also live here and are kept from human contact in order to reintroduce them back into the wild.

In Fernan Vaz, the Mission Sainte Anne was built in the late 19th century and designed by Gustav Eiffel.

Ivindo National Park is the remotest of all national parks. It is also one of the most important in all of Central Africa due to the work being done for biodiversity conservation. The river here is the main feature of this area and it flows through rain forest, creating amazing rapids and waterfalls. There are adventure packages available and you can camp in the rain forest and around the falls, enjoy a pirogue lesson and take a day excursion on the river.

Bird lovers can enjoy over 430 bird species among them African grey parrots. There are gorillas, chimps, colobus, mandrill, mangebey, sitatunga, duikers, giant pangolin, bush pig and more.

Take a look at Langoue Bai a forest clearing with a stretch of land that is rich in mineral water. The elephants keep the area clean by digging into the rich saline soil which then attracts other large mammals to eat here.

Makokou is the capital of the Ogooue-Ivindo region and is the gateway to the Kongou Waterfalls. It is located in the Ivindo National Park. It is an interesting place even though the village is rather isolated. Pygmies live in the forest surrounding the village.

Franceville is located at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and is one of the four largest “cities” in Gabon. This is a bustling and lively place.

Visitors like to see St. Hilaire’s Church dating from the 19th century and the memorial to former President Omar.

Nature lovers will enjoy the Poubara Falls and taking nature walks.

Port-Gentil is the second largest city after Libreville. It’s a seaport town and the hub of the country’s petroleum and timber interests. It is the base camp for colonial expeditions into the country. The city is located on Mandiji Island. It is famous for its nightlife and casino.

Visitors enjoy the St. Louis Church dating from the 20th century.

Right on the equatorial is Reserve de la Lope with savannah, rolling hills, and rainforest. Here you can see buffalo, elephants, gorillas, and mandrills. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. At the reserve is a research station that is run by the Zoological Society of London and visitors can stay here right by the rainforest.

Locals call the little town Lozo but it is Lastoursville sitting on the banks of the Ogooue River. Surrounding the town are the Boundji Waterfalls but the biggest attraction is the caves. They were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and recent expeditions have charted more than three miles of undiscovered underground caves.

Minkebe National Park is where the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working to promote conservation efforts. This is home to gorillas, elephants, leopards, and cheetahs. According to the WWF, this park has the largest elephant population in all of Africa. Here visitors can learn about the Kwel and Kota ethnic groups that live in the park.

Mayumba National Park lies close to the border of the Republic of Congo. This is primarily a marine park. Here is a mix of savanna, dunes, beach, and rainforest. Around 60 km of this strip is protected leatherback turtle nesting beach.

Visitors can spot barnacled whales, dolphins, sea turtles, leopards, antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, monkeys, and elephants.