Top Attractions in Nino Konis Santana National Park

Nino Konis Santana National Park Essentials

Established in 2007, Nino Konis Santana National Park protects over 1,200 square kilometers of East Timor’s eastern tip. The park encompasses the Important Bird Area of Lake Ira Lalaro, the sacred, uninhabited Jaco Island, and prehistoric rock art sites near Tutuala. It serves as the cultural heartland of the Fataluku people, featuring distinctive high-pitched stilt houses and colonial-era Portuguese ruins overlooking the Coral Sea and the Wetar Strait.

Ilha de Jacó

Uninhabited island and wildlife park.

Hinrich Kaiser / CC BY 3.0

Ira Lalaro

Lake Ira Lalaro is a freshwater lake in Mehara, Subdistrict Tutuala, Lautém District, East Timor.

Valu Beach

White sand beach at the easternmost point of Timor island, serving as the primary departure point for local boat transfers to Jaco Island.

Traditional houses

Distinctive Fataluku stilt houses, known as Lee-teinu, characterized by high-pitched thatched roofs, shell decorations, and intricate wood carvings.

Portuguese Fort

Stone ruins of a colonial-era fortification located on a ridge in Tutuala, offering a strategic vantage point over the coastline and Jaco Island.

cave

Limestone caves containing ancient rock paintings and archaeological evidence of human habitation dating back tens of thousands of years.

Ossadas de Baleia

Whale bone remains located along the coastline, representing the region's diverse marine life and local coastal heritage.

Boats to Jaco island

Local fishing boats providing short transits for visitors across the narrow channel from Valu Beach to the sacred shores of Jaco Island.

Falésia

Steep limestone cliffs providing panoramic views of the Timor Sea and the park's primary tropical forest.