Crystal Mountains

The renowned range of mountains, situated between Equatorial Guinea and the Ogooué river.

Park Highlights

• A botanical paradise
  The area contains an astonishing variety of trees, begonias and orchids, and other superb plants. Specialists believe that the Crystal Mountain forests are the richest in all of Africa in terms of number of different plant species.
• Dissected topography
  The Crystal mountains - marked topography, and magnificent scenery - where mountains and rocks rub shoulders with mists and clouds.
• In the clouds
  At the highest altitudes we enter another world - an enchanted world shrouded in clouds where mosses envelop the trees and lichens hang from their branches.
• Visits to the dams
  The electricity company, the SEEG, could arrange visits to the two hydroelectric stations. SEEG staff could act as guides for visitors.

Economic asset

• The rains falling on the Mbe River catchment, upstream from Kinguele, pass through the reservoirs of Kinguele and Tchimbele and turn the turbines that generate electricity - energy that feeds into Libreville, and into the Gabonese economy. The Mbe River basin, with its forest, is thus a key resource. The forest protects soils against erosion and the reservoirs against the accumulation of sediment.

International status

• The area is recognized by IUCN as critical for conservation.

Tourist facilities

• The Tchimbele hydroelectric station is now remote controlled, so many houses are no longer used by the SEEG. These could be renovated and used to accomodate tourists, as well as visiting students from secondary schools, the forestry school and the university.
• Botanical trails could be created. A botanical garden has already been started.