St. Lucia Eco Lodge is uniquely situated within the village of St. Lucia because from the lodge you are able to view four of the major ecosystems that make up the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – The ocean, dune forest, wetlands and lake system.
iSimangaliso’s uniqueness lies in its extraordinary diversity, specifically its combination of subtropical coastline and classic grassland African game park. It is South Africa’s third-largest park, spanning approximately 1 300 000 hectares, after the massive marine sanctuary was added on 1 Aug last year including pristine natural ecosystems – swamps, lake systems, beaches, coral reefs, wetlands, woodlands and coastal forests. The parks 60-kilometre river mouth creates the Lake St Lucia Estuary, which runs parallel to the coast separated from the sea by the world’s highest forested sand dunes. This lake forms part of the St Lucia estuarine system, the largest estuarine system in Africa.
The iSimangaliso’s wide varieties of ecosystems provide natural habitats for an astounding diversity of species in the area.
With its lakes, lagoons, freshwater swamps and grasslands, iSimangaliso provides for more species of animal than the better-known and much larger Kruger National Park and Okavango Delta – from the country’s largest population of hippos and crocodiles to Giant Leatherback turtles, leopards, and a vast array of bird and marine life.
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