The last true surf frontier with world-class waves and uncrowded!
Madagascar is a dream destination for outdoors enthusiasts.
Measuring 1600km (1000mi) in length and 650km (406mi) across at its widest, Madagascar is the world’s 4th largest island.
A mountainous central ‘spine’ separates the permanently damp east from the drier west and sub-desert south.
Our surf spots get a direct hit from the SW swells with mainly offshore conditions and 700km (438mi) of varied coral reef to explore.
We can also arrange exploration of new undiscovered spots for surfers with an adventurous spirit.
Weather
This is the driest region of Madagascar. Tulear with an average of 36cm (14”in) rainfall makes it the junction between a tropical west coast and the desert south. The southern regions (Vezo, Antandroy) show a bushy kind of vegetation, with spiny desert and unique flora varieties: baobab-like plants, thickets, euphorbias, didiereaceas, aloes and bottle trees. The dry season lasts 9 months from March to Nov and even during summer. Ifaty is rather shrubby with grassy savannahs, palm trees and tamarind trees fed by muddy rivers in the estuaries, deltas and mangroves. During winter, air temps hover around 28°C (82°F), while the water temps rarely dip below 23ºC (75ºF), but take a shorty for windy days.
The Nature
Wild ringtail lemurs live near St Augustin Bay, where a visit to the Sarodrano Cave is a must. View the famous Baobab trees across Madagascar or go bird watching in Anakao. There’s also plenty of other opportunities to explore the land and sea - take an awesome forest hike Ifaty or visit one of the many great dive spots.
When to Go
Low pressure systems moving east, away from South Africa pump swell up and along the Mozambique Channel. SW-facing reefs will receive up to 12ft (4m) surf but most of the quality surf will have to wrap around the NW-facing reefs so SE trades can blow fully offshore. From April to September, expect regular swells producing 4-12ft (1.2-4m).
Unlike the rest of Madagascar, the tide factor rises in the Mozambique Channel and can reach 6ft (2m) on spring tides, which is enough to bring the live coral close to the surface and cause slow navigation at low tide in the lagoon.