Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park lies in the Melaky Region of western Madagascar, near the Manambolo River and the village of Bekopaka. It is managed by Madagascar National Parks. Together with the adjoining strict nature reserve, it forms a World Heritage Site of about 152,000 hectares, of which the national park covers roughly 723 square kilometres.

The landscape formed from thick layers of limestone laid down on an ancient seabed and later lifted up. Rain and groundwater dissolved the rock along cracks, leaving sharp vertical pinnacles separated by deep canyons and caves. Tsingy is a Malagasy word often explained as the place where one cannot walk barefoot. UNESCO inscribed the reserve as a World Heritage Site in 1990.

The park has two main areas: the Petits Tsingy near Bekopaka, with shorter trails, and the Grands Tsingy further north, where pinnacles can rise to as much as about 70 metres, depending on the source. Trails use ladders, cables, walkways and suspended rope bridges, and visitors wear harnesses on some routes. The isolated canyons hold a high level of endemic life, including eleven lemur species such as Decken's sifaka, as well as birds, reptiles and rare plants. Boat trips through the Manambolo River gorge pass caves and cliffs.

Access is difficult. The park is reached by rough roads from Morondava, a journey of about a day that includes river ferry crossings, and is usually only possible in the dry season, roughly April or May to November. Visitors must go with a licensed park guide and pay park entry and guide fees.

The national park was established on 1 August 1997 and covers 723.4 square kilometres, mostly in Antsalova District with a small part in Morafenobe District. It is an IUCN Category II protected area. Few people make the trip: the park recorded 10,093 visitors in 2011.

The pinnacles form a karst landscape, shaped by groundwater and by both vertical and horizontal erosion of the limestone. Each needle creates its own range of habitats, with different plants and animals living on the summit, the slopes and the base, which helps explain the high number of species found nowhere else.

Because the drive from Morondava takes about a day, most visitors spend at least two nights near Bekopaka to see both the Grands and Petits Tsingy and take the boat trip through the Manambolo gorge. The trails with ladders, cables and rope bridges need a head for heights and a fair level of fitness. Closed shoes with good grip are essential on the sharp limestone. Entry and guide fees change from season to season, so confirm them with Madagascar National Parks before travelling.