Ivindo National Park, National park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Gabon

Ivindo National Park is a protected area in eastern Gabon made up of dense rainforest and wide river systems that cross through it. Several waterfalls break up the terrain, creating varied habitats along their banks where wildlife and vegetation differ noticeably.

The park was created in 2002 as part of a broader effort by Gabon to expand its network of protected natural areas. In 2021, the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognizing it as one of central Africa's most intact forest areas.

The falls and rapids of the Ivindo and Djidji rivers are the reason the park exists: campaigns to protect them ran from the late 1980s, and in February 2001 the Gabonese state granted the FIGET foundation, named after the late honorary consul Giuseppe Vassallo, a 12,000 ha stretch of the Ivindo between Kongou and Mingouli. The Ipassa research station, moved to the plateau in 1972, drew scientists who made the Ivindo basin forests known worldwide.

A visit requires planning ahead, since permits and transport need to be arranged before arrival. Hiring a local guide is strongly recommended, as the terrain is dense and difficult to navigate without experience.

The Kongou Falls form a complex of falls and rapids with a total drop of 50 metres and a total width of 19 kilometres, arranged in three levels. The two upper levels are cut by a transverse canyon into which the river pours from both sides, a structure largely hidden by forest.