What to See in Gabon

last edited Dec 11, 2019

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Location Map of Gabon

Gabon Open the interactive map

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Gabon has one site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list:

Lopé-Okanda National Park (2007)
This park in central Gabon is a mix of savanna and forests where gorillas live, along with several prehistoric sites. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for these reasons.

The Coast

Gamba
Built between the sea and the Ndougou lagoon, this hard-to-reach small town thrives on oil. However, it boasts stunning surroundings with two national parks nearby (Loango and Moukalaba).

Libreville
The capital and largest city in the country, Libreville is surrounded by forests and beautiful beaches. The beaches are the city’s main tourist attraction, far outweighing its few (and rare) "historic" buildings.

Mayumba
The last coastal town before the Congo, Mayumba is known for its beautiful beaches where turtles come to lay their eggs. You can also see monkeys, hippos, gorillas, crocodiles (and whales offshore) in the small park of the same name located a few kilometres away.

Port Gentil
The island city is the economic capital of Gabon (timber and oil) and home to many expatriates.

Natural Heritage

The Estuary
This is how the estuary of Gabon with Libreville on its right bank is referred to. In terms of natural features, to the north of the capital, Akanda National Park is a mangrove area where many migratory birds nest, while to the south, Pongara National Park offers opportunities to see turtles and whales.

Loango National Park
North of Gamba, this stunning coastal park is home to elephants, hippopotamuses, leopards, and gorillas amid beautiful landscapes. Offshore, you can also spot whales and dolphins.

Mayumba National Park
South of the city of the same name, the area is home to turtles, monkeys, hippos, gorillas, and crocodiles (plus whales offshore) amid stunning dune and mangrove landscapes.

Moukalaba-Doudou National Park
This other natural park, near the town of Gamba, is home to gorillas.

The Interior

Franceville
The main town in the southeast, built at altitude amid savannah, canyons, and some beautiful waterfalls. It is also the terminus of the Transgabonais railway, which starts in Libreville over 600 km away and crosses the entire country.

Lambaréné
250 km from the capital, the town is known for the dispensary of Dr. Schweitzer, which can still be visited (museum). Around the town, several lakes and rivers that can be explored by pirogue.

Lastourville
A town in the central part of the country, along the Transgabonais railway route. Several caves can be seen in the surrounding area.

Oyem
Oyem is the fourth-largest city in Gabon and a stopover on the way to neighboring Equatorial Guinea or Cameroon. Its surroundings are covered by dense equatorial forest (Minkébé Park), where semi-nomadic Pygmy populations still live.

Natural Heritage

Ivindo National Park
In the centre of the country, gorillas and other monkeys in a landscape of forests, gorges, and waterfalls (Kongou, Mingouli).

Lopé-Okanda National Park
This park in central Gabon is a mix of savanna and forests where gorillas live, along with several prehistoric sites. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for these reasons.

Minkébé National Park
In the far north, this vast, hard-to-reach equatorial forest park is home to elephants and gorillas, among other species. It is also where some semi-nomadic Pygmy populations still live.