Maputo Special Reserve Tailor Made Tour

The Maputo Special Reserve tailor made tour is an option that allows the adaptation of this amazing experience to our costumers needs. The Special Reserve is a tourist destination that has been recovering since 2010 bringing in more animals every year, but also the creation of infrastructures to facilitate tourist access to this small paradise at the gates of Maputo. This joint effort has been done by ANAC and Peace Parks Foundation.

It is a conservation area created in 1932 and connects with the Futi corridor to South Africa. It is only 1 hour away from Maputo passing the bridge to Catembe and following the road to Ponta do Ouro.

Inside the reserve you can find more than 350 species of birds, but also large mammals such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras and many others.

The Maputo Special Reserve has the extraordinary peculiarity of having access to a coast with about 40 kms of magnificent beaches, some practically untouched. So in one trip you might see the whales and elephants, the two major mammals in the ocean and in land.

Our favorite beach is Dobela beach, probably the most beautiful beach in southern Mozambique, but also Membene, Milibangalala and Chemucane.

The Maputo Special Reserve has several lakes and plenty of fresh water. We highlight the largest lakes, the Xinguti which is an hour drive after Futi Gate, Lake Mundhe and Lake Piti. All of them inhabited by crocodiles and hippos.

Elephants are the main attraction of the Maputo Special Reserve which is also known as the “Elephants Reserve”. At present there are about 600 elephants in the Maputo Special Reserve. These elephants have for many years been victims of poaching and, as such, tend to have a very defensive attitude towards humans / cars, it is best to keep your distance.

You can only enter the Maputo Special Reserve with 4×4 cars. You can do it in self-drive, but if you do it with us you will have a much better experience 😊.

Still, if you want to do it self-driving, we recommend the following:

• Take food and water to Maputo Special Reserve, inside you will not find any shop
• Take a container to store all your trash
• Do not feed the animals
• Keep safety distance with elephants
• Do not exceed speed limits
• Take a Map of the Reserve and make sure you know how to navigate and don’t get lost
• Ensure that your car has enough traction for not getting stuck on the sand.

Have fun, the Maputo Special Reserve is worth of your visit. Enjoy a day full of nature, genuine safari, and almost untouched eco-systems.