Located on the east coast of the KwaZulu-Natal province, it stretches from Mozambique to Mapelane, being the third largest protected area in the country.
With 328,000 Ha, it protects five ecosystems, with reefs off the coast, beaches, lakes, wetlands, forests and coastal forests in virgin state that are of spectacular scenic beauty .; for which it is recognized as a World Heritage Site (declared by UNESCO in 1999).
Its extension covers 13 conservation units, including the False Bay Park, the Sodwana Bay National Park, the Santa Lucia Park, the Cape Vidal State Forest, the Mapelane Nature Reserve and the Santa Lucia Marine Reserve. In its total it covers almost 240,000 hectares, 85,000 of which are marine reserves
It is expected that due to its magnitude it has an incredibly diverse flora and fauna, it is one of the most important refuges for the country’s rhino population, in fact, both black and white rhinos and species such as those that make up the category of «The Big Five. «They enjoy an ideal habitat in this place.
Its coasts are not only some of the wildest to be found anywhere in the world, but they are also the southernmost nesting areas for the endangered leatherback and loggerhead turtles. There are about 1,200 different species of fish, including coelacanths, as well as the southernmost coral reefs in the world.
To do?
The iSimangalis Park is a natural recreation place, with car rides, walking routes, cycling and swimming.
Here you can walk through the town of Santa Lucia, South Africa, structured around a main street, McKenzie Street, where most restaurants and hotels are concentrated. There is not much to see, but it is a quiet town that can be easily investigated.
The Santa Lucia estuary is the habitat of many hippos, so once you are in it you will not be able to miss a visit to the hippo estuary.
Within the same town, you can also enjoy Cape Vidal that extends to the border with Mozambique and up to three miles out to sea. It is a nature reserve that offers protected beaches, ledges of rocks and cliffs, coastal forest and wetlands.
Thus, the Cape Vidal Reserve offers a wide range of activities to do, from walks along its virgin beaches, snorkeling or diving, to bird watching and game drives through its wetlands.
