Gruta do Leão Camp
Welcome to Gruta do Leão Camp
Created around the boulders and caves of one of Iona’s most iconic rock formations, this purpose-built safari camp (opened in November 2026) offers all-inclusive, catered accommodation for up to 15 guests in five en-suite tented units, each with a double and a single bed.
This unfenced camp gives a true sense of the vastness of Iona.
Experiences
Day visitors and Campsites
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.
More about Gruta do Leão Camp
-Accommodation: En-suite tents, each with a solar-heated shower, a flush loo, charging points and open desert and sunset views.
-Communal area: Set within the cave itself, under a soaring canopy of rock.
-Around the camp: Hiking to the top of the rock formation, birdwatching at the waterhole in front of the camp, and viewing and hearing wildlife by day and night.
-Activities: Self-guided desert drives, stargazing.
-Food and drink: Bottled water is provided, with meals prepared by the onsite chef.
-Services: Laundry service, solar power, limited Wi-Fi connectivity.
-Included: All meals, soft drinks, local beer and wine.
How to Get There
Gruta do Leão Camp is approximately 65 km / 4 hours from Salondjamba Gate on rocky and sandy roads.
16°49’00.8”S, 12°20’26.2”E
100% of the profits made from accommodation managed by African Parks in Iona National Park go towards the costs of running the park or are invested in community development projects.