What to See in Madagascar

By | July 20, 2022

Andouani (Elville) (Madagascar)

The city of Andouani (Elville) is the capital of the island of Nosy Be, which is located off the northwestern coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be Island is the most popular beach resort in Madagascar. Nosy Be area – 321 sq. km. Tourists love this island for its fun atmosphere – there are many restaurants and nightclubs, as well as for calm coastal waters and clean beaches.

In Elville, it is worth visiting the Center for Oceanographic Research, the Diving Center, the old prison built in 1855, and the bustling city market. Not far from Elvil is the Lokobe Nature Reserve.. Lokobe is the only place on Nosy Be where the remnants of the “sambirano” forests with boa trees that once completely covered the island have been preserved, and where black lemurs are found.

North of Elville is the most popular Nosy Be beach – Andilana. You can also relax on the beaches of the nearby coral islands of Tsarabanina, Ankarea, Nosy Coba and Nosy Iranya.

Be sure to visit the Nosy-Tanikeli Marine Park where you can go diving and get acquainted with the underwater world of the coastal waters of Madagascar. The diving depth in the park reaches 18 m, the underwater world is represented by turtles, octopuses, stingrays, parrot fish, clown fish and groupers. Nosy Be is a paradise for snorkelers and divers. Dive site “Four Brothers” consists of four underwater rock formations with caves. The diving depth varies from 4 to 20 m. “Four Brothers” is suitable for beginners, because there are practically no currents. During the dive you can see turtles, lobsters, scorpion fish and crocodile fish. Very interesting place called “Organ”. It is an underwater mountain with many protrusions, similar to organ pipes, for which it got its name. Moderate currents are constantly observed here, which allow drifting in the water.

Taulanaru (Madagascar)

According to SHOPPINGPICKS, Taulanaru is located in the southeast of Madagascar on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The city is also called Fort Dauphin. It lies at the foot of the Saint-Louis peak on a small peninsula. This is the main place on the island where lobsters are caught. In Taulunara, it is worth visiting the Botanical Garden, the old fort, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century, and the Berenti Reserve. The Berenti Reserve is dominated by “dry forests” because it receives little rainfall compared to other parts of the island. In these forests grow trees similar to cacti and baobabs. This reserve is a habitat for ring-tailed lemurs.

Also in Taulanaru there are several beaches where tourists can swim and sunbathe.

Toamasina (Madagascar)

Toamasina is the main port of Madagascar. It is a large city on the northeast coast of the island. The main attractions of Toamasina are the old quarters with residential buildings built in the colonial style, the City Hall, the Column Square and the central market Bazaar-Be.

Sandy beaches stretch along the entire city coast, among which Manda Beach and Mahambu are the most popular. From Tuamasina you can go to the small islands of Nosy Akuhu, Ile aux Prune, Ile aux Natts, as well as the island of Sainte Marie (Nosy Buraha).

Sainte Marie is located 150 km north of Toamasina. Since the end of the 17th century, the island has been one of the main bases for pirates in the Indian Ocean. Now it is a popular resort in Madagascar. This narrow tropical island is lined with sandy beaches that are surrounded by groves of coconut palms. In the coastal waters of Sainte Marie, from July to September, you can watch the seasonal migrations of humpback whales from Antarctica. The island has excellent diving opportunities.. Among the local dive sites, one can single out a place called Pagoda, where groupers, moray eels, lobsters, sea turtles and rays live (diving depth – 12 m), Suanambo reef, consisting of black corals (diving depth – 28 m), Grouper Wall (diving depth reaches 40 m), the sunken 55-meter Kokoterae ship, which lies at a depth of 15 m, and the 8-meter Leopard fishing boat (diving depth – 34 m).

11 km from Toamasina is the Ivuluina Zoo with a botanical garden, where, in addition to a variety of plants, lemurs, turtles and frogs live. No less interesting for tourists will be Antungila Bay and the Masuala Peninsula. northwest of Tuamasina. There are sandy beaches that are adjacent to the Masuala National Park. In the park you can see the densest rain forests of Madagascar, which are considered one of the last preserved primeval rain forests on the planet. South of Tuamasina, you can go to the Pangalan canal, which is a system of rivers, lakes and swamps surrounded by a relict rainforest.

Toliara (Madagascar)

Toliara is a large port city on the shores of the Mozambique Channel on the west coast of the country. This is a popular seaside resort in Madagascar with numerous sandy beaches surrounded by baobab trees. South of Toliara is Anaku Beach. Here on the shore you can see a lot of painted pirogues, on which tourists are offered to ride on the surrounding waters. In Anaku, you can still find the remains of the eggshell of the ancient bird aepiornis, which was the largest in the world, it reached a height of 3 m. Also in the vicinity of Toliara, the beaches of Batri and Ifaty are popular. In the coastal waters of Toliara, a 250-kilometer coral reef stretches. It is believed that this is the second such reef after the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.. It is home to 250 species of corals, 750 species of fish, sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, whale sharks and an ancient fish species – the coelacanth, which appeared 70 million years ago. This reef is one of the most popular diving spots on the island.

Not far from Toliara is Isalu National Park, which covers an area of ​​81.5 thousand hectares. Isalu is a limestone massif with erosional landforms. The emblem of the park depicts the Elephantopus plant, which grows everywhere here. In addition to the animal and plant world, ancient burials that were discovered in caves are very interesting.

Toliara (Madagascar)