Day Trips & Camping
Experience Iona
Day Visitors
Due to the distances involved and the nature of the terrain, day visits to Iona are only feasible via the Ponta Albina Gate, close to Tômbwa in the far north of the park.
Even with just a few hours inside the park, you can experience some of the diverse and dramatic landscapes that make Iona so enthralling, and potentially encounter desert and coastal wildlife.
A day visit to Iona offers an opportunity to genuinely get away from it all, and to explore a place unlike anywhere else you may have been before.
Driving in Iona can be challenging, but it is always rewarding. A day visit to Iona will leave you with indelible memories of time spent in this remarkable landscape.
Campsites
Designated campsites in Iona do not have facilities, so you will need to bring all your own supplies. Each site has been chosen for its genuine sense of seclusion, its dramatic setting or spectacular views.
Choose from campsites close to community areas, or more remote locations further from settlements.
Campsites cannot be booked exclusively, so you may find that you are sharing the space with other visitors.
Community campsites: Etamba, Mukutu, Cambeno, Tchinhungua
Remote campsites: Ponta Albina, Vanessa, Oasis, Cunene, Foz do Cunene (Cunene River Mouth)
Day visits
Day visits to Iona National Park are only realistic via the Punta Albina gate. Please download the Iona FAQ document to read essential advice and rules regarding the park.
Cultural Visits
Discover the traditions, history, and daily life of the communities who have made this desert their home for generations. Cultural visits are conducted with mutual respect and consent; you are requested to seek permission before taking photographs and pay a small fee for this.
4 x 4 Driving
Iona’s gravel and sand tracks offer a rewarding challenge for 4 x 4 self-drivers, with sudden changes in vegetation and landscape making each kilometre a new experience.
Camping under the stars
Thanks to the almost complete absence of light pollution, Iona offers exceptional star-gazing, adding an extra layer of magic to evenings around the campfire and nights under canvas.
Birdwatching
The diversity of habitats found within Iona National Park is reflected in the variety of birds found here, including pelagic and inshore species on the coast, and desert-adapted birds further inland.
Geology
Iona features a remarkable degree of geological diversity, with shifting sand dunes, gravel plains and ancient mountain escarpments. It’s a geologist’s – and a photographer’s – dream, with shifting shadows, lucid light, and organic shapes of every description.