Namibia’s national parks are part of a network of protected areas managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT). These protected areas cover 000 square kilometres, representing nearly 20% of the country.

The most well-known sections of this network are the national parks, such as Etosha and the Skeleton Coast, recognised globally for their abundant wildlife and striking, rugged landscapes. Namibia’s parks are interconnected with game reserves, recreational resorts, transfrontier parks, conservation areas, and tourism concessions. This extensive protected region is also linked to Namibia’s communal and freehold conservancies, which together encompass almost half of the country under conservation management.

The coastline exemplifies this conservation integration. With the creation of Dorob National Park north of the Namib Naukluft Park and south of the Skeleton Coast, Namibia became the first nation globally to protect its entire coastline. An offshore zone further safeguards marine ecosystems. Access to the Skeleton Coast is limited to preserve its delicate environment, while Dorob features multiple-use zones for recreation. Located near Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, Dorob offers recreation alongside environmental protection.

In the northeast, the parks of Bwabwata, Mudumu, and Nkasa Rupara showcase diverse landscapes. Bwabwata evolved from a game reserve into a multi-use park, where residents engage in tourism and trophy hunting, alongside core wildlife areas similar to Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara. These parks form part of the Mudumu North conservation complex, which includes neighbouring communal conservancies. This entire complex is within KAZA, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, spanning five countries with the Mudumu Complex at its core.

Recreational resorts blend leisure with conservation, often centred around natural features like hot springs at /Ais-/ais and Gross Barmen or lakes such as Von Bach and Daan Viljoen.

Further information on Namibia’s parks and recreation facilities is available from the MEFT and the Namibia Tourism Board. Summary information can be found on this site, including information on transfrontier conservation areas and tourism concessions.