Anakao & Nosy Ve

Introducing Anakao & Nosy Ve

The petite but pleasantly bustling Vezo fishing villages of Anakao A and Anakao B are blessed with an entrancing semi-circle of white-sand beach, a slice of turquoise water and a fringe of emerald-green vegetation. An assortment of guesthouses on either side of the villages are perfect for recuperating from a tough journey, doing a bit of diving or admiring the hundreds of brightly painted pirogues rocked gently by breaking waves. Very serious divers, however, consider the diving slightly better at Ifaty to the north, especially for seeing sharks.

Most of Anakao’s dive sites are around the nearby island of Nosy Ve, a former haunt of pirates. Today, it is visited mainly by those interested in exploring the offshore reef and by fishermen from Anakao. There’s a Marine Reserve fee (Ar2000) to visit the island. Offshore about 7km south of Anakao is the island of Nosy Satrana, which offers some excellent additional dive sites.

In between the second Anakao village and La Reserve is a headland with a big Vezo cemetery. Aepyornis eggshell fragments can be seen on the dunes around here. Should you find any, remember it’s illegal to collect them.

There is nowhere to change money in Anakao, so be sure you have cash – either ariary or euros. At the time of research, the lack of fresh water was a major problem in Anakao and only Le Prince Anakao had running water, which was not always reliable.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009