Travel Guide Anakao

Anakao is a vezo fishing village in the middle of nowhere. However, a number of structures have sprung up on the beach, both inside and outside the village, attracting for years travelers looking for peace and quiet and a pretty spot, as well as surfers. But beware! Don't come here with images of coconut palms and lush vegetation in your head. Anakao's beauty lies in its bare beach and relaxed, natural atmosphere.With a population of over 3,000, Anakao is home to the largest concentration of Vezo fishermen in the region. Renowned as excellent apneists, Vezo fishermen can remain for several minutes at a depth of 30m. At sunset, when all the boats have returned from their day at sea, over 300 colorfully painted pirogues line up on the beach facing the lagoon. What a pretty sight! Originally created from the junction of semi-sedentary Vezo fishing villages, this town has since expanded to become an obligatory stopover for pirogue flotillas during their fishing campaigns. As a result, the population is quite cosmopolitan. Behind the village, the large (8-10 m long) painted cement tombs contrast with the modest wooden huts of the fishermen. After all, ancestors must have respectable homes. Opposite the tombs is the airstrip, dating from the colonial period. Further on, in Antony, an impressively tall banyan ficus reaches for the sky. As you walk along the beach past the southern tip, you come across a large cemetery. The monumental tombs are built of stone. The longest is 30 m long and 6 m wide. Pieces of nets, sails and oars are the main ornamental features of the graves of these ancestors who lived more often at sea than on land. To make the most of the Anakao region, it's best to take at least three days to visit the village, Nosy Ve and the neighbouring national park, while indulging in the water sports on offer: snorkeling, surfing and diving... For diving, the best sites are along the Maromby faults. You can dive into the faults from the open sea, and the colors are splendid. The bay of Saint-Augustin is home to the largest number of fish. Anakao is also an ideal site for watching the whales dance along the coast, close to Nosy Ve, during the austral winter (July to September).