Tour Highlights

Madagascar's Ultimate Kitesurfing Playground If you're searching for one of the most exciting and unspoilt kitesurfing destinations on the planet, few places come close to Northern Madagascar. Combining the legendary flat water of Sakalava Bay with the vast turquoise lagoons of the Emerald Sea, this remote corner of the Indian Ocean offers world class kitesurfing in a setting that still feels genuinely undiscovered.

Unlike many modern kitesurf destinations that have become crowded and heavily developed, Madagascar remains wild, authentic and incredibly rewarding. Here, you'll find endless stretches of empty coastline, traditional fishing villages, crystal clear water and some of the most reliable wind anywhere in the world. For experienced riders, it is a dream destination. For progressing kitesurfers, it offers huge areas of safe shallow water and consistent conditions that make rapid progression easy.

Whether you are looking for flat water freeride sessions, freestyle conditions, epic downwinders, foilboarding, wave riding or simply a unique kitesurf holiday far from the crowds, Sakalava Bay and the Emerald Sea deliver an experience unlike anywhere else in the Indian Ocean.

Sakalava Bay Kitesurfing - Located around 40 minutes from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), Sakalava Bay is Madagascar's most famous kitesurfing destination and for good reason.

The bay is protected by an outer reef, creating a huge expanse of flat and relatively shallow water inside the lagoon. The setup is ideal for beginners, intermediates and advanced riders alike. Those looking to improve their riding can enjoy large areas of forgiving flat water, while more experienced kiters can venture towards the reef where small waves and stronger conditions create a completely different playground.

The bay is wide open, uncrowded and incredibly wind reliable. During the main season, the powerful south easterly trade winds blow almost daily, often delivering long sessions from morning until late afternoon. Wind statistics regularly place this region amongst the most reliable kitesurfing destinations in the world.

Sakalava is also one of the easiest places in Madagascar to learn kitesurfing. Launching is straightforward, the water is warm year round and the wide sandy beach provides plenty of space. Several professional kite centres operate directly on the bay, offering lessons, equipment rental and guiding.

The Emerald Sea – Madagascar's Most Spectacular Kitesurf Spot - If Sakalava Bay is Madagascar's most famous kitesurf spot, then the Emerald Sea is undoubtedly its most beautiful.

Known locally as Mer d'Emeraude, this vast lagoon lies just north of Sakalava and stretches for kilometres between remote sandbanks and reefs. The water here is almost impossibly clear, glowing shades of turquoise, emerald and deep blue depending on the light and tide.

The Emerald Sea offers huge areas of shallow flat water that seem to go on forever. There is so much space that it is entirely possible to spend an entire session without seeing more than a handful of other riders. For many visitors, this is the highlight of a Madagascar kitesurf holiday.

The conditions are perfect for freeride, freestyle and foilboarding, while the outer reef provides excellent wave riding opportunities for advanced kiters. Boat supported sessions allow riders to access the very best sections of the lagoon, while guided downwinders reveal hidden beaches, tiny fishing villages and untouched stretches of coastline that few travellers ever see.

One of the great attractions of the Emerald Sea is the feeling of exploration. This is not a resort beach lined with hotels and beach clubs. It is a vast natural playground where the scenery often feels completely untouched.

Wind & Kitesurfing Season - The Northern Madagascar wind season is exceptionally long, generally running from May through to November, with the strongest and most consistent conditions typically occurring between June and October. During this period, the famous trade winds blow offshore across the coastline, producing reliable conditions that attract kitesurfers from around the world.

July, August and September often deliver the strongest winds, making Northern Madagascar a fantastic destination for riders who enjoy powerful conditions and smaller kite sizes. More moderate winds are often found at the beginning and end of the season, making these months particularly appealing for less experienced riders.

Amber Mountain National Park, or Montagne d'Ambre, is one of Madagascar’s most enchanting natural reserves, located in the northern part of the island near Diego Suarez. This lush, tropical paradise is a stark contrast to the surrounding dry landscapes, offering visitors a cool and verdant escape filled with diverse flora and fauna.

The park is renowned for its dense rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and crater lakes, all set against a backdrop of volcanic mountains. The lush vegetation is home to an extraordinary variety of plant species, including ferns, orchids, and endemic trees. Wildlife enthusiasts will delight in spotting the park’s unique inhabitants, such as crowned lemurs, Sanford's brown lemurs, and a variety of brightly colored chameleons, including the smallest chameleon species in the world, Brookesia minima.

Amber Mountain National Park offers well-maintained hiking trails suitable for various fitness levels. Along these trails, you can visit stunning natural landmarks like the Sacred Waterfall and the emerald Lac Mahery. Birdwatchers will enjoy the park’s vibrant birdlife, while others might marvel at the strange leaf-tailed geckos camouflaged among the trees.

The park’s cool, misty climate is a refreshing break from the heat of the surrounding areas, making it an ideal spot for exploration. It is easily accessible from Diego Suarez, with guided tours available to help visitors navigate its trails and learn about its unique ecosystems.

Amber Mountain National Park is a magical destination that showcases Madagascar’s unparalleled natural diversity and offers a serene retreat into the heart of the island’s wilderness.

Ankarana is one of the best places in Madagascar to see the famous limestone tsingy (a geological oddity sculpted by erosion). The limestone massif rises up from the forest, and though a few tiny succulent plants cling to the rocks, the tsingy is largely bare and spikey limestone. A few paths wind through the rocks, and hiking is challenging, but rewarding with some spectacular views out over the reserve. Among the forests and rivers of the lower levels of the park lie several caves, stretching for thousands back into the limestone. Colonies of hundreds of bats live within, and twisted limestone formations glint in the torchlight.

The lower levels of the park are deciduous forest, where crowned lemurs, and Sanford's brown lemurs can be seen among the trees. Two nocturnal lemurs are also present in Ankarana Special Reserve, including the gray mouse lemur and the northern sporting lemur. Even during the day, sleepy-eyed sporting lemurs can be found snoozing in the fork of a tree, although they are most often heard at night-time.

Ankarana is spared the heavy rains that fall on the east coast of Madagascar from December through until April, but this remains the wettest time of year, and the lower reaches of the park are off-limits. In particular, it is not possible to visit the caves during this period, as sudden rainfall and rising waters make this rather dangerous. On the plus side, the plants thrive in the rain, and orchids bloom in the early months of the year. From April onward, the weather becomes drier. June and July are the coolest months of the year and are good times for some of the most challenging hiking activities. The warmer months of October, November, and December are excellent for wildlife: snakes come out to bask in the sunshine, migratory birds arrive from the north, and lemurs are at their most energetic and easily spotted.