Tsingy & caves · Madagascar
Ankarana
Northern stone forests riddled with caves, crowned by crowned lemurs and underground rivers.
Getting there
On the northern road south of Diego Suarez
Best for
A second tsingy, vast caves, crowned lemurs, bat caves and canyons
The land
A limestone massif of tsingy pinnacles and one of Madagascar's biggest cave systems
Good to know
Ankarana's caves shelter bats and crocodiles; the surface is a maze of tsingy and forest
What it is
Ankarana is the north's stone forest — tsingy pinnacles above one of Madagascar's largest cave systems.
A limestone massif of tsingy, canyons and an enormous network of caves and underground rivers, Ankarana combines dramatic geology with crowned and Sanford's brown lemurs, bat-filled caverns and pockets of dry forest. It is the wild centrepiece of the northern circuit.
The reason to come
Caves and stone
Ankarana stacks a second tsingy, deep caves and lively lemurs into one northern reserve.
Tsingy walks
Pinnacles and canyons on the surface.
Cave systems
Vast caverns with bats, and underground rivers.
Crowned lemurs
Active troops in the dry forest.
Worth knowing
The north's wild heart
Ankarana brings together tsingy, caves and lemurs — the wildlife climax of the northern loop.
When to come — honestly
A dry-season reserve.
April – November
Best
Dry season. The reserve and its caves are accessible and the forest active.
December – March
Good
Wet season — lush, but trails and caves can be difficult.
Best April–November; some cave and tsingy routes are difficult in the rains.
Context
Stone, caves and lemurs
Ankarana is the northern counterpart to the famous western Tsingy — pinnacles plus a great cave system, and easier to reach.
It anchors the northern circuit between Diego Suarez and Nosy Be.
Beyond the obvious
More to Ankarana Reserve.
Tsingy & canyon walk
Across the pinnacles and gorges.
Cave exploration
Bat caverns and underground rivers.
Lemur troops
Crowned and Sanford's brown lemurs.
Why Wild Voyager
We know how to make Madagascar work.
Madagascar is a country of regional hops, seasonal access and specialist guides. We sequence the route, time the dry-season roads, and pair you with the naturalists who find the wildlife.
Handpicked camps
We choose the camp and guiding that fit your dates and pace, not whatever is left.
We time it right
We build your visit around the season that delivers — water levels, migrations and access.
Where to stay
Where you’ll stay in Ankarana
Classic Collection
Wildlife you may see
Plan your Ankarana Reserve journey.
Walk the tsingy and caves and find crowned lemurs in the dry forest. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.
Plan a Ankarana Reserve trip