The Luba Crater Scientific Reserve covers the southern tip of Bioko Island, protecting a substantial tract of montane and lowland tropical forest that rises to the peaks of the Gran Caldera. The reserve is managed by the government with support from international conservation organizations and requires a permit to enter, obtainable in Malabo.
The wildlife is exceptional. Forest elephants still move through the interior forests, chimpanzees are present in the highland areas, and the beaches at Ureca (accessible via the southern road from Luba, when passable) host nesting leatherback sea turtles from October to April — some of the highest densities of nesting leatherbacks on the Atlantic coast. Several primate species found nowhere else in the world are present in the reserve. Independent access is difficult; arranging a guide through conservation organizations operating in Malabo is strongly recommended.