One of the most accessible of Gabon's national parks, Lopé offers rainforest and savannah teeming with apes, elephants and birds. Covering 4970 sq km, it is mostly rainforest with some ancient savannah in the north. Lopé is the best place in Africa to see mandrills – up to 1350 gather at a time. There are more elephants here than anywhere else in Africa, too: three per square kilometre. Permits are available from Conservation Officer Benoit at the ANPN office in Lopé (phone 07 37 05 35).
Known as 'the laboratory in the sky', Lopé became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. It has 412 species of birds, including a some very rare ones.