Toliara is the gateway to several splendid beaches in the south-west of Madagascar. Although this region is very remote and you will need a really good amount of time to be able to explore the region (at least one week or 10 days), the beauty of these places is totally unspoiled, raw and absolutely stunning. Below are the best 6 beaches located to the north of Toliara. They are listed one after another, in the order of their proximity to Toliara, basically going from the south to the north.
Imagine huge deserted beaches just for you and a turquoise blue sea as far as the eye can see. This is what the beaches north of Toliara look like. You will experience sensational sunsets here, when the gigantic sun whose size can’t be captured by the camera and the clouds are playing with all palettes of colors in the sky.
This paradise must be earned, however, and you have to pass the sandy roads along the coast to find it. This hidden corner of Madagascar, far away and difficult to access, has been able to keep its splendor and authenticity.
Why coming so far? For tranquility, for the unparalleled beauty of the beach and sea, for excellent high quality cuisine (yes, even so far away) and for authentic baobab forest, unique in the world.
Discover the magnificent Mozambique Channel from the shores of Madagascar. The region is part of that Great Barrier Reef of Tulear which hosts one of the most beautiful lagoons in Madagascar and worldwide. The reef is one of the 5 biggest coral reefs in the world, stretching over 450 km along the southwestern coast of Madagascar, from Itampolo to Andavadoaka. Due to the barrier reef, this part of the coast has shallow lagoons with sensational scenery and sea color. You can see the waves breaking over the reef in the distance. And when the local pirogues float on this turquoise water it seems like if they are flying. Totally surreal scenes!
When is the best time to visit the beaches north of Toliara
In March and April the vegetation is particularly green and luxuriant, as the rains have just ended. From June to September the whales pass by, which is spectacular. In October and November the water is clear and the temperatures are perfect for a relaxing beach holiday. Christmas and New Year’s are certainly a great time too. Mid January to the beginning of March is the rainy season and it can be difficult to cross throught. This is also the time when some lodges close down.
1. Mangily
Mangily is the starting point of the most beautiful lagoon in Madagascar! It gets only better and better after this point, as you advance to the north. Getting there might be cumbersome, but it is totally worth it. Absolutely worth it.
From the beach, you can watch the fishermen’s canoes on the lagoon. These are traditional outrigger canoes, often made with wood. The boatmen are incredible agile as they have to change the orientation of the sails according to the direction of the wind. And in the evening, take the time to admire the magnificent sunset and its reflection on the sea.
Mangily is located in the vicinity of Toliara (25 km) so it is very easily accessible on a new paved road (45 min away). The beach here has white sand and a turquoise blue lagoon. Being so close to a big city, there are a lot of street vendors here.
Things to do: apart from all the traditional aquatic activities such as swimming, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, paddling, surfing and kitesurfing, there are a few other attraction near Mangily.
There is Reniala Baobab Reserve, located 15 min walk from Mangily. ‘Reniala’ is the Malagasy word for ‘baobab’, which means ‘mother tree’ or ‘queen of the forest’.
The Reniala reserve is home to 7 endemic species of baobab, such as Siamese twins, two lovers embracing, rhinos, bottles, cisterns, vazaha etc. The oldest baobab in the reserve is around 1200 years old and is 30 meters high. It is also the only one that looks like a huge teapot. Here you can also see the octopus tree, which exists only in Madagascar. The top of the tree always points to the south, therefore it’s also called the compass tree. Best time to visit is in the afternoon when all the birds are singing. There are more than forty endemic species there, so that the park has become a real ornithological reserve.
Also, visit the turtle shelter located in a small protected baobab and spiny forest. The shelter is protecting the turtles from smugglers. They are staying here until they are ready to be released in the nature. The turtles have a black shell with yellow beams that look like sun rays. They are endemic to Madagascar and can be found in the south of the island.
Where to stay in Ifaty and Mangily
Le Paradisier – in Ifaty
La Bella Donna – in Mangily
2. Ankasy
Ankasy is located 80 km north of Tulear. It takes 2 hours to arrive here: 1 hour on paved road and 1 hour on a sandy track. Here you will be fascinated by the Parallels of Ankasy, the unique zebra-like stripes that strike the lagoon. There is a beautiful viewpoint of the whole lagoon near Ankasy Lodge. The moon-shaped bay is very beautiful and one can spend lazy days here enjoying the lagoon.
Where to stay in Ankasy
Ankasy Lodge – 2 hours from Toliara or 1,5 hours from Ifaty
Ambatovaky Lodge – 30 min to the north of Ankasy Lodge
Five Senses Lodge – 30 min to the north of Ankasy Lodge
3. Salary Bay
Salary Bay is located 3 hours from Toliara, 1 hour north of Ankasy and 1 hour south of Ambatomilo. The bay impresses with its magnificent turquoise blue lagoon and its white beach stretching over more than 7 km. This is the best diving spot in the area. The place is almost deserted. For a bit of action, wake up early and go to the fishing village to watch the fishermen hoisting their outrigger canoes out into the sea.
One of the attractions of Salary Bay is the salty lake Tsivovo, where flamingos are present during the months of April, May and June. It is in the village of Bekodoy, 18 km northeast of Salary, hidden behind a forest.
You can stop in Salary Bay for lunch, while on the way to Ambatomilo. The lodges further north, or further south are a bit more charming than the one in Salary Bay.
4. Ambatomilo
To get here you will have to travel in a 4×4 through deep sand tracks and remote villages. Between Salary Bay and Ambatomilo the road is in a bad shape, as the sand is really deep and it’s much harder to manoeuvre the car with a high risk to get stuck. It takes around 5 hours with an experienced driver who knows the road to get here from Toliara. The sand road is in the middle of nowhere and you can get lost and stuck pretty quickly, if not familiar with the place!
So once you arrive, you will discover that Ambatomilo is really one of the best-kept beach secrets in Madagascar. It’s so magical. During the low tide, the sea goes very far away, around 1.5 km away from the beach, transforming the beach into a white desert. This is absolutely incredible! It looks almost like the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia!
There are several things to do in the area, such as visiting the peaceful Baie des Assassins. Allegedly English warship sailors were massacred on this beach in the 19th century. The place is in fact very beautiful and calm, with incredible colour of the sea. It has different shades of turquoise and an emerald color at low tide, when astonishing tsingy formation start appearing.
1 hour north from Mikea or Mamirano lodge, there is a hidden gem – the snow white sand dunes of Ambohitrabo, located near the village of Bevohitse. The dunes are very beautiful and the contrast with the blue sea is just phenomenal.
Nearby, there is also a beautiful baobab forest, located close to Andalambezo village, next to the Baie des Assassins. Be aware that there is also another baobab forest in Andavadoaka, further north! The dwarf baobabs of Andalambezo are short and have very wide trunks.
Mikea Forest is one of the country’s newest national parks, containing plenty of areas for exploration, through the spiny forest and didieras, known as the octopus tree. Of course you will see lemurs here as well.
Where to stay in Ambatomilo
Mikea Lodge – 1 hour to the north of Ambatovaky Lodge and around 4 hours from Toliara
Mamirano Lodge – 10 min walk away from Mikea lodge
5. Andavadoaka
From Tulear it takes about six hours by jeep to cross a wonderful sandy track along the coast and the thorny forest to arrive in Andavadoaka. It is possible to divide the trip into two stages and stay overnight in a hotel halfway. Alternatively, it is possible to organize a private flight.
The bay of Andavadoaka is one of the most beautiful on the west coast of Madagascar, with turquoise waters, extremely beautiful lagoon and idyllic beaches. It is located 150 km north of the city of Tulear, at the end of the barrier reef. The village of Andavadoaka has about two thousand inhabitants, mostly of Vezo origin.
Just 5 minutes from the beach is a thorny forest with lots of strangely shaped bottle baobabs and octopus trees. They make up an unreal landscape. An hour before sunset, you can take incredible photographs of these giants of nature. The baobabs in the area are lower and wider and it can take up to 20 people to hug one. Inland, the vegetation is amazing.
Where to stay in Andavadoaka
Laguna Blu Resort – 1 hour north of Ambatomilo and 6-7 hours away from Toliara. A private flight can also be arranged.
6. Morombe
Morombe is the furthest beach from Toliara. It can take up to 6 hours to get here straight from Toliara through a road going inland after Ifaty. From Andavadoaka it takes under 2 hours to get here. Morombe is a great place for diving, water sports and big game fishing. The Vezo fishermen lifestyle presents a great opportunity to admire outrigger canoes and sailing schooners at sea. In Morombe there is also an unknown forest of giant baobabs with splendid landscapes of savannas.
There are a few basic lodges here like Auberge Chez Laurette, Pirogue d’Or and there is also an aerodrome with a small airstrip (MXM) for flights. So you can take a charter flight out instead of returning to Toliara by land.
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