Nino Konis Santana

Nino Konis Santana National Park occupies the eastern tip of Timor-Leste in Lautém Municipality and is the country's first national park, established on 15 August 2007. It covers about 1,236 km², combining roughly 68,000 hectares of lowland tropical and monsoon forest with about 55,600 hectares of sea in the Coral Triangle^[1]. It is named after the independence hero Nino Konis Santana, born in the village of Tutuala, which lies inside the park^[1].

About 200 bird species occur on the land, roughly ten of them endemic to Timor, including the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo and the endangered Timor green-pigeon^[1]. Mammals include more than 20 bat species and the northern common cuscus, which is the most commonly hunted mammal there^[1]. Rusa deer, monkeys and five species of sea turtle are also listed, and the offshore reefs are described as among the richest in the world for corals and reef fish^[2].

Vegetation includes moist deciduous lowland forest, evergreen forest on the hills, dry deciduous forest, swamp forest and coastal strand vegetation, with primary forest a notable feature^[1]. The marshy margins of Lake Ira Lalaro carry grassland that villagers use for grazing^[1]. Local people also use medicinal plants, bamboo and trees suitable for canoes^[1].

The park's landforms include the Paichao Range along the south coast, the Fuiloro Plateau, the cliffs at Ili Kérékéré and limestone terraces and caves that hold rock art^[1]. Lake Ira Lalaro and its floodplain lie inland, while Jaco Island sits off the eastern tip^[1].

Timor has a tropical monsoon climate with a wet season and a dry season. A long dry season in 2019 was reported to have killed many animals in the park, including the deer of Jaco Island.

The park is home to Fataluku-speaking communities in five or six villages, including Bauro, Com, Tutuala, Méhara and Maupitine, and more than 200 cultural sites have been identified^[1]. Archaeological sites include Jerimalai, occupied more than 40,000 years ago, and the Matja Kuru shelters, dated to about 32,000 and 14,000 years ago^[1]. Rock art appears on limestone walls and in caves, and sacred Uma Lulik houses stand across Lautém^[2].

Part of the area became a conservation reserve during the Indonesian occupation, and in 2000 UNTAET Regulation 2000/19 declared a protected wild area covering Tutuala beach and nearby forest^[1]. After independence in 2002, BirdLife International and partners pressed for a national park, which was declared in 2007^[1]. A reported UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation in June 2026 is announced on the national tourism site^[2].

Main attractions are Lake Ira Lalaro, the Ili-kere-kere rock art near Tutuala, Valu Beach, Com Beach and the reefs and sea turtles offshore^[1][2]. Jaco Island is sacred, and the tourism site says no development or overnight stays are allowed there^[2]. Birdwatching, diving and wildlife watching are the activities highlighted^[2].

The park is reached from Dili by road via Baucau and Lospalos, and a 4WD vehicle is recommended for interior tracks^[2]. Com, on the western boundary, offers beaches and fishing, and Lospalos has a traditional market^[2].

The park is managed under the Department of Protected Areas and National Parks as IUCN Category II, aiming to combine conservation with community livelihoods^[1]. Threats include loss of monsoon forest and capture of yellow-crested cockatoos for trade^[1]. In August 2012 Conservation International assessed the reefs at the government's request^[1].