The Sainte Marie Island of Madagascar

With its numerous shaded ways and paths through an omnipresent nature, Sainte Marie island of Madagascar lends itself well to trekkings. Where the charms of a luxuriant vegetation cuddle typical hamlets sheltered from modernity, landscapes offer scenographies fit to a fairy tale..

You will progressively get in the deeps of the garden island where many discoveries are awaiting you.

Its insular character allowed the biodiversity to evolve on the morphological and behavioral level. The various excursions suggested will make it possible to all nature lovers to discover a broad range of this unique and yet so fragile aboutronment.

The Orchid's path Requires a little endurance. Listen to various birds and other animals of the forest while appreciating the richness and the diversity of the flora of Sainte Marie, in particular the planted high endemic orchids on trees often hundred-years-old. (Ambodena forest) Duration: about 5 hours Length: about 7 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:		The walk of the naturalists Several pieces of primary forests full of animal and vegetal species to cross : menarans, boa snakes, gecko uroplates, beetles, parrots, bats, chameleons and various birds of Ikalalao and Analayanana forests. (Ikalalao Forest) Duration: about 4 hours Length: about 8 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:

The path of the Birds Starts with a soft inclined, small rise at hillside to reach the 112m climax of Sainte Marie. Low and bushy vegetation fit to ornithological observation (dicricus forficatus, couas, foudias, etc) (Border of Ikalalao forest). Ends with a small immersion in a village in the bush : Maromandia. Duration: about 1 hour 45 Length: about 3 Km Difficulty level: Very Easy Quality:		The way of the cascades Begins at about 500m in the north of the Masoandro hotel. Requires good walking shoes, especially in rainy weather. Crossing of several cultivated zones (rice, manioc) and the village of Antsifitra, well-known for its spices and its small traditional craft industry (edge of Ikalalao forest). Visit of a cascade. Duration: about 4 hours Length: about 7 Km Difficulty level: Easy Quality:

The villages of Ambodena and Ambodenabe Outline of the way of life in Sainte Marie, between food crop of rice, manioc and coconut and sale of spices and fruits. Visit of a workshop of the "Betsa betsa" drink. The passage of a small bridge is the entrance of a secondary forest (Ambodena forest) which certainly still hides many non indexed vegetal and animal species. Duration: about 2 hours Length: about 4 Km Difficulty level: Very Easy Quality:		The sacred path Borders a zone protected by ancestral beliefs between the wet forest and the dry forest (Ambodena forest). The meeting of two biotopes on the one hand and the relative insulation on the other hand make it possible to observe a profusion of species (frogs, chameleons, large geckos, lemurs). Duration: about 2 hours Length: about 5 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:

The Lemurs path Starts in skirting the marshes where lives a flat tortoise (Pelusios subniger) before entering this part of Ambodena's forest where several lemurs species are regularly seen (Cheirogaleus medius, Microcébus rufus, Hapalemur griseus). The path follows the course of a river before sinking more into the forest. Represents well the various biotopes of Sainte Marie. Duration: about 2 hours 30 Length: about 6 Km Difficulty level: Rather easy Quality:		The heart of Ambodena Protected by some old Malagasy beliefs, the presence of a local guide is required to be able to appreciate the age of some trees of precious wood (rosewood...) because it is sometimes forbidden to move away too much from the path (Ambodena forest). Bring good walking shoes and plan a picnic Duration: about 8 hours Length: about 15 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:

The crossing of the island Begins with the path of the birds and that of Beanana and ends in the bay of Ampanihy and its mangroves, passing by the villages of Ampatsy and Anafiafy. Lasts a whole day and requires excellent walking shoes. Connects various hiking trails. Plan a picnic. Requires a good endurance. (The crossing of the island excursion includes a dugout under the mangroves as well as a return by car) Duration: about 4 hours if return by car Length: about 8 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:		The track of the chameleons Begins at about 500m in the south of the Masoandro hotel. Discovery of a broad range of various biotopes of Sainte Marie : dry vegetation and primary bush, secondary forests and sylves. Observe one of the largest chameleon in the world (Calumna parsonii), a species as rare as impressive, as well as the smallest one (Brookesia minima). Requires a good endurance. Duration: about 6 hours Length: about 11 Km Difficulty level: Average Quality:

The way of Beanana Begins with the path of the birds and the climax of Sainte Marie 112m. Crossing a luxuriant eucalyptus forest which emerges in the middle of a valley. A small sinuous and shaded track leads to the edge of an ombrophilous forest, where pandanuses, dracaenas and aspléniums offer a fairy-like environment. The crossing of this wet forest continues while curving along a brook inhabited with crayfish and a multitude of multicoloured arboricoles frog (Ikalalao Forest). The trekking ends in the village of Beanana where time seems to have stopped. Duration: about 5 hours Length: about 11 Km Difficulty level: Rather easy Quality: