Canal des Pangalanes

A Canal System Dug In The Colonial Era To Link Coastal Lagoons And Lakes, Giving A Boat Route Behind The Surf Coast Through Villages, Reed Beds, Palms And Small Lemur Reserves; The Quiet East Coast Alternative To The Beaches · Toamasina, Atsinanana

The Pangalanes is a chain of natural lagoons and lakes joined by hand-dug canals behind the surf coast of eastern Madagascar, built in the French colonial era so cargo could move without facing the open sea. The full route is said to run about 600 km from Toamasina to Farafangana, but most of it is silted up, and almost every visitor sees only the stretch south of Toamasina towards Manambato, Lake Ampitabe, Akanin'ny Nofy (the Nest of Dreams) and Ambila-Lemaitso. You travel by motor boat or dugout pirogue past reed beds, screw pine, travellers' palms, fishing villages and floating water hyacinth, with the Indian Ocean surf audible just over a thin strip of sand. It is slow, flat and quiet, a gentle contrast to the highlands. The main draw for wildlife fans is the Palmarium reserve on Lake Ampitabe, where lemurs come to the lodge. The scenery is pleasant rather than spectacular, the coast is cyclone-battered, and the area is humid and rainy for much of the year.

Chain of canals and lakes along the east coast running about 600 km from Toamasina to Farafangana, most visited between Toamasina and Manambato or Akanin'ny Nofy, Toamasina, Atsinanana, Madagascar

The canal itself is never closed and crossing it is FREE, but boats only run in daylight and operators usually leave between early morning and mid-morning. Lodges and the Palmarium reserve have their own daytime visiting hours that we cannot confirm, and a reserve entry fee is normally charged. Boat schedules shift with weather; the cyclone season roughly January to March can stop trips and damage jetties, and heavy rain muddies the roads from Toamasina. Confirm access with your lodge before you leave.

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