National Parks in Madagascar

Isolated from the rest of the world, a very special fauna and flora has developed in Madagascar. Many animal species are only native to this island. To protect nature, the country has declared more than 50 protected areas, which account for almost five percent of the entire country's surface area. These include several national parks.

The Masoala National Park

With an area of 2100 km², the Masoala National Park is the largest park of its kind on the entire island. It was only declared a national park in the mid-1990s, but today it is already a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is located in the northeast of the country, on the Masoala Peninsula, which also gave it its name.

On the peninsula on the Indian Ocean, there is the largest rainforest in Madagascar, some underwater worlds and coral reefs are also under the protection of the national park. Not only corals but also whales live on the coastal strip of the peninsula. A visitor magnet is the migration of humpback whales, which travel along the coast in summer. In the park itself, various lemur species, including the highly endangered red ruffed lemur, various reptiles and butterflies are native.

The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, located on the west coast of the country, offers a rugged and barren home for the flora and fauna. The 720 km² protected area consists largely of limestone, in which trees grow in open spaces. Some animals and plants have perfectly adapted to the harsh living conditions, many of the species living here are found nowhere else in the world.

Almost 90 percent of the resident plants are only found in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, which is why the park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the early 1990s.
Fossa and ring-tailed mongooses can be found here as well as various lemur species, bats, amphibians and reptiles. Numerous bird species breed on the steep coast, including the Madagascar sea eagle. It can reach a wingspan of almost two metres.

The Isalo National Park

Declared in 1962, the Isalo National Park is one of the oldest parks in Madagascar. It is located in the southern highlands of the country, about twelve kilometres from the nearest larger town of Ranohira. It offers visitors challenging vegetation. The rugged mountain landscape is full of unique rock formations, undiscovered caves and deep gorges. The entire national park, which covers an area of 815 km², is primarily home to various lemur species. Like almost everywhere on the island, they shape the image of the park. The northern Madagascar boa, which is also the largest snake in Madagascar at three metres, lives in the area.