Angola emerges as Africa's newest climbing frontier as international festival returns for third year

One of Africa's last great frontiers for rock climbing is drawing world-class athletes, global media attention and a new generation of adventure travellers

Angola is quietly establishing itself as one of Africa's most exciting new destinations for adventure travel. From the dramatic sandstone cliffs of the Serra da Leba Pass to untouched granite walls, soaring escarpments and vast highland landscapes, the country is home to some of the continent's last great expanses of unclimbed rock -and the world is starting to take notice.

Angola's granite walls and sandstone escarpments have already drawn some of the world's best-known climbers, including Alex Honnold, star of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, and Nicolas Favresse, one of the sport's most respected big-wall specialists. Coverage from CNN, CNN Inside Africa, Vice Sports and Next Big Adventure has introduced Angola's climbing potential to international audiences, lending the destination credibility that few emerging adventure travel markets achieve so quickly.

This month, that momentum builds further as climbers from around the world gather in the highlands of Huíla Province for the third annual Climb Angola Festival (24 July–3 August 2026). More than a climbing event, the festival has become a catalyst for a much larger story: the deliberate, community-led development of Angola as a serious adventure tourism destination.

A new destination, built at speed

Angola's climbing scene has grown from a standing start to international relevance in just three years.

• The inaugural festival welcomed around 40 participants from 18 countries

• The second edition grew to approximately 60 climbers from 20 countries

• Serra da Leba alone now offers more than 100 established routes, with new lines continually being developed and significant untapped potential remaining

• 2026 is expected to bring the festival's largest international turnout yet

The Climb Angola project has helped open up climbing across five regions, each offering a distinct character:

• Serra da Leba, Huíla Province - dramatic sandstone cliffs above one of Angola's most iconic mountain passes, and the project's flagship destination with over 100 routes

• Pedras Negras de Pungo Andongo, Malanje - striking black granite boulders and towers rising from open savannah

• Cabo Ledo, Bengo Province - coastal cliffs offering a rare combination of climbing and Atlantic scenery

• Cumbira II, Cuanza Sul - remote highland rock with largely untouched lines

• Monte Luvili, Huambo Province - high-altitude granite in Angola's central highlands

Together, these sites offer hundreds of routes across granite, sandstone and quartzite, with much of the country's climbing potential still unexplored, giving experienced climbers a genuine opportunity to establish new routes on genuinely new rock.

More than climbing

The festival itself reflects the breadth of the wider project. Alongside climbing, the 2026 programme includes highlining, the bolting of new routes, technical workshops, camping, environmental projects and cultural activities, bringing together climbers, route developers, guides, conservationists and local communities.

Sustainability and inclusion sit at the centre of the programme. Discounted participation is offered to African climbers, and sponsorship supports young Angolan climbers to attend as part of a wider effort to train the country's future guides, instructors and route developers.

Environmental work is built into every edition. One annual highlight is the Serra da Leba clean-up, where festival participants have removed approximately two tonnes of waste from one of Angola's best-known natural landmarks, working alongside local organisations and authorities to improve long-term environmental management. It's this combination of world-class sport climbing paired with genuine conservation and community investment that increasingly resonates with sustainability-minded travellers and tourism media alike.

A strategy, not a single event

"The Climb Angola Festival perfectly reflects the kind of tourism we are building in Angola," said Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Angola.

"We want visitors to experience our country through authentic adventures that celebrate our landscapes, support local communities and protect our natural heritage. Climbing allows travellers to discover some of Angola's most spectacular places while helping create new opportunities for sustainable tourism."

The project is a clear expression of the themes Angola has been building on the international stage: authentic, undiscovered, adventurous, and ahead of the crowds. Climbing is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate all four at once and supports the country's wider strategy of diversifying tourism beyond its traditional strengths.

Beyond safari

Angola is already recognised for spectacular natural attractions, including Kalandula Falls, Iona National Park, the Namibe Desert, Pedras Negras and more than 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline. Climbing adds a new, fast-growing dimension to that portfolio, one aimed squarely at travellers seeking somewhere genuinely different.

Tourism arrivals grew by almost 28% in 2025, as the country continues to invest in infrastructure, accessibility and sustainable tourism development, positioning Angola as one of Africa's fastest-emerging destinations.

Few places in Africa still offer the chance to discover unclimbed rock, dramatic scenery and genuine exploration in equal measure. As Climb Angola enters its third year, Angola is proving it's one of them -and that this is only the beginning.

For further information visit https://climbangola.com/climbing-festival

ENDS

About Angola

Angola is Africa's magnificent secret, a country of jaw-dropping contrasts and untamed beauty in the heart of Southern Africa. As the continent's sixth-largest nation, Angola dazzles with landscapes that shift from lush rainforests to dramatic desert expanses, from thundering waterfalls to 1,600 kilometres of pristine Atlantic coastline. This is a land shaped by powerful kingdoms and complex history, where the ancient Kingdom of Kongo once held sway and Portuguese colonial influence left an indelible mark.

The capital, Luanda, is a dynamic Atlantic gateway where African vitality, Portuguese heritage and indigenous traditions create an intoxicating urban energy. With its tourism brand, "Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life", the destination calls to explorers, nature enthusiasts and culture seekers who refuse to follow the crowd.

For more information visit www.angolatourism.com

Link to images of Climb Angola here

Link to images of Angola here

Press Contacts

Adele Cutler, PR Manager.

E-mail: adele.cutler@klebergroup.com / Tel: +44 7976 578988

Tim Henshall, UK Director E-mail: tim.henshall@klebergroup.com / Tel: +44 7810 508791