Ankarana Special Reserve

Ankarana is a slab of Jurassic limestone about twenty-five kilometres long, weathered on top into the grey blades and needles called tsingy and hollowed underneath by one of the longest cave systems in Africa, with underground rivers, bat colonies and blind fish. Canyons cut through the plateau and hold pockets of dry forest where crowned lemurs and Sanford's brown lemurs are seen easily, along with ring-tailed mongooses and a long list of reptiles. Suspended walkways cross a section of the tsingy, and marked circuits of different lengths run from two entrances. The reserve is a component of the Andrefana Dry Forests World Heritage property. Water disappears entirely in the dry season, which is when the trails are usable; the wet months flood the caves and close much of the reserve.

The landscape

• Grey tsingy - the blade-like limestone pinnacles with walkway crossings.
• Cave systems - underground rivers and large bat colonies.
• Crowned lemurs - reliably seen in the canyon forest.
• Canyon forest - green pockets sunk into the dry plateau.

When to go

May to November, the dry season, when the caves and trails are open. From December to April rain floods the underground system and most circuits close. Early morning is best for lemurs and for heat.

Good to know

Walking is on sharp limestone that shreds shoes and skin if you slip; gloves help on the tsingy. Circuits are long, hot and exposed, with distances of ten kilometres or more to reach the best formations. Guides are compulsory. There is no accommodation inside; simple lodges sit near the entrances.

Nearby

Tsingy Rouge lies north; Diego Suarez is further north again.

Key facts