Isalo National Park

When Madagascar separated from Africa, mountain ranges were pushed upwards at this point. Over the millennia, wind and water have shaped a wild, rugged mountain landscape with deep gorges and bizarre rock formations. Deep in the gorges, crystal-clear streams and rivers cross the majestic landscape, while natural pools with clear, inviting water and tropical palm trees make for unforgettable impressions. In the gorges, which are several kilometres long but sometimes only a few meters wide, perennial rivers often flow, making Isalo National Park one of the most important water sources in the region. A diverse flora with typical dry vegetation alternates with savannah-like forest areas and the green forests of the canyons. Many endemic plants, pachypodiums, aloes and euphorbias thrive in the low-rainfall region of Isalo.

Highlights

Isalo National Park is one of the oldest and most spectacular national parks in Madagascar. The bizarre sandstone formations are the hallmark of Isalo National Park.

Catharantus ovalis, a medicinal plant that is found nowhere else in the world, calls the Horombe Plateau its home. The Bismarck palm, Bismarckia nobilis, a palm species native to the savannahs of Madagascar, is a large, solitary fan palm named after the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Isalo National Park is also home to various species of lemur, the best known of which are the Ring-Tailed Lemur, Verreaux’s sifaka and Red-Fronted Brown Lemur. Ornithology is rich with over 70% of the 77 bird species being endemic, i.e. not found anywhere else in the world.