The most beautiful natural sites to discover Northern Route

Mahajanga is one of the few towns in Madagascar with a beach right in the center of town, at the end of the corniche road: it's known as the "tourist village". The beaches of Amborovy (about 8 km to the north), Grand Pavois (10 km) and Ampazony (15 km) attract all the tananarivian tourists in August. Numerous hotels, restaurants and small bars have sprung up, especially on Amborovy beach. Ideal for a Sunday out with the family. Further afield, the marvellous site of Antsanitia (pronounced: "antsanti", 40 min runway from the airport), is more unspoilt.

Departure by canoe from a village 20 km from the town (5 km of good track). Count 20 minutes of canoe. Observation of ducks, herons, and miners in the region. Immersion in the Malagasy daily. Swimming and fishing possible.

18 km north of Mahajanga (same departure route as for the Cirque rouge), this small lake with its crystal-clear waters is sacred to many locals, who come here to make wishes by throwing coins into the water. The carp and moray eels that inhabit it are exceptionally large. Tuesdays and Thursdays are "fady" (no offerings possible). A good place for a picnic. An access fee of 10,000 Ar is charged for tours: visit to the sacred lake, the sacred tamarind tree, a crocodile enclosure, the baobab and the white lemurs.

On 85 000 ha, this protected natural area comprises 22 mangrove covered islets in the heart of the sumptuous Betsiboka delta. There will be a quantity of mangroves where a abonde rich: is abundant: 60 species of aquatic birds, including sacred ibis, pink flamingos, spatulas, crested, ducks, herons or Eagles of Madagascar… Moreover, a 3-hour hike from the village of Mahataitromby allows to discover fragments of dry forests and their habitants inhabitants, les (crowned propithèque, Eulémur rufus, Eulémur mongoz, microcèbes…). Lunch break in the village of Mahataitromby, for example.

A recent botanical and zoological refuge at the entrance to the city, along the Bombetoka bay and its mangrove. This 25 ha space concentrates the different representatives of Malagasy fauna in captivity. Among them, four species of lemurs, including the Eulémur and the Propithèque, four species of turtles, boas, crocodiles, and Ankoay in a vast aviary… Birds, chameleon and other aquatic animals evolve in freedom. You can also admire some ostriches, in pens for the time being. Ideal for families.

Located 6 km south of Katsepy, the New Protected Area (NPA) of Antrema is the sanctuary of the Crowned Sifaka, which embodies the ancestors in the Sakalava culture. The area is occupied by an ecosystem composed of a dry forest on dunes, rainforests, tides and lakes but also a marine park and its mangrove (20,300 ha). The site has 153 species of plants, 75 species of birds, 23 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 4 other types of lemurs. Three circuits are proposed: lemur circuit, bird watching and discovery of the marine park.

Eight different circuits are available to visitors to Ankarafantsika National Park, including the following:

Circuit Coquerelli (maximum 5.1 km loop, 2-hour walk): lots of lemurs (including the endemic Propithecus verreauxi coquereli), birds (including the rare and endemic Vanga de Van Damne) and reptiles. Beautiful panoramic view of the forest. A shorter tour is also available.

Circuit Canyon (7.4 km round trip, 3h walking time): starts at the edge of the dry forest and winds through the savannah. It leads to the famous Ankarokaroka lavaka, the result of enormous erosion. It's an almost dreamlike, lunar landscape, offering an extraordinary view of the canyon. You'll come across lemurs, birds (including the Newton falcon) and reptiles.

Circuit Haut du Lac (7 km, approx. 3 hrs.): panoramic views over the lake, and a fine sampling of local flora and fauna: birds such as the flycatcher, dyal malagasy, bulbul de Madagascar, coua and drongo, as well as chameleons, snakes, lizards and medicinal plants such as adenia, vanilla madagascariensis and tamarind.

Baobab tour (3 km round trip, approx. 1 hr.): footbridge over rice fields, suspension bridge and Adansonia boeniensis, endemic baobabs.

Retendrika and Pachypodium circuits (6.6 km, 2 hrs. walk, and 9.2 km, 3 hrs. 30 min. respectively): a flora rich in medicinal plants, large trees and precious woods (ebony in particular), as well as terrestrial orchids. You can also spot the Assity bird and, from November to April, the brookesia, the world's smallest chameleon.

Tour of the lake by boat: Lake Ravelobe gives you the chance to get to know the Ankoay fishing eagle and the Nile crocodile. The Sakalava practice a ritual ceremony here, called Joro, to bless the ancestors (in July). It is said that the ghost of the highwayman Ravelobe still haunts the area. Women are forbidden to wash in the river. Fishing is permitted on the shores of the lake.
The park is home to two endemic species of lemur: the Eulemur mongoz (known here as Dredrika), whose tail is longer than its body (35 cm for its size, 50 cm for its tail), and the Cheirogaleus medius (or Matavirambo), a small 22 cm animal that hibernates from April to September and only comes out at night... The park also offers a fascinating cultural tour of Sakalava culture: tombs of kings (Doany) at Andranomiditra, Doany de Betsioka at Bealana, Doany d'Ambalabongo and Doany de Ravelobe.