It protects an area of Atlantic Forest and dunes in the heart of the city of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte.

The park has an area of 1,172 hectares (2,900 acres) extending along the coastal highway beside the neighborhoods of Mãe Luiza, Capim Macio and Ponta Negra.

[1] The vegetation is mainly coastal dune herbs, shrubs and trees, mainly Atlantic Forest but with some species of the caatinga and tabuleiro.

The public use area, the Bosque dos Namorados, covers about 7 hectares (17 acres) and has over 1,300 native Atlantic Forest trees.

It contains the park headquarters, visitor center, library, research center, seedling nursery for native species, Brazil wood amphitheater, arts area, artificial lake, environmental control station, playground and track for jogging and hiking.