About Itampolo

On the road to the great south, discover Itampolo: an escapade on kilometers of tracks and the crossing of two rivers. A journey, an adventure, an unforgettable experience await the Traveler...

What you need to know about
the Itampolo destination

Between Toliara and Taolagnaro nestles a treasure preserved from the waves of modern civilization, the village of Itampolo. Its secluded village, pristine beaches and miles of sandy trails are just a few examples of the magnificent surprises that await any adventurer at heart...

Why choose Itampolo for your next trip?

Itampolo:
a promise of a change of scenery in the south-west region, off the Mozambique Channel

Itampolo looks like a village frozen in time, worthy of the most beautiful postcards. Its corner of a small village is bordered by a superb beach swept by winds on the crashing rhythm of the sea on the rocks.

Itampolo lives mainly from fishing. Here, we set foot in the Mahafaly country, characterized by its tombs resounding like hymns to life. Indeed, the landscape reveals veritable mausoleums painted in bright colors contrasting with the ground (Mahafaly funerary art). Sculpted funeral posts stand to tell the earthly life of the deceased, it is the Aloalo who perpetuate the vital flow according to local legends.

Region of rural tradition, the zebu is omnipresent in the life of each household, the animal follows each inhabitant until its death. In particular with a number of zebu horns determining the wealth of the ancestor. Moreover, you can often come across zebu carts in the area, more rarely motorized vehicles.

Where is Itampolo?

To locate yourself on a map,Itampolois located at -24 latitude and 44 longitude. This commune is in the region of Atsimo-Andrefana. The remote village is part of the regions crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn.
Lost on the south coast of Madagascar, the sun of Itampolo is around 32°C from December to March; thethermometerin Itampolo has average temperatures of 24°C to 29°C. A region bathed in permanent sunshine, it only benefits from light rains all year round.

The economic lung of the surroundings of Itampolo is the market of the neighboring village where the carts drawn by the valiant zebus converge.

It is a place of exchanges and meetings on Fridays, one can observe there the daily life of the neighboring populations. A trip to the market allows you to stock up on tasty lobster caught in the lagoon.

Vezo and Mahafaly are traditional, semi-nomadic coastal fishermen. Recognizing the benefits of nature, these villagers do not derogate from the legendary hospitality of the country and welcome you to their friendly wooden hut. They are also farmer-herders on the land side.

The local specialty is freshly caught. You can also discover and taste the lobsters along this coast. Fresh fish punctuates this real treat, after an expedition in the middle of an immensity of fine white sand, between cactus forest, thorny arid vegetation and rocks.

In terms of access to healthcare, in 2018, Itampolo benefited from cooperation between the United Nations system and Madagascar.

Itampolo is still far from places that have been victims of mass tourism, a few rare hotel addresses exist, such as the Sud-Sud Itampolo hotel. This hotel offers you its charming bungalows and possibilities for interesting activities (…or inactivity!):

guided excursion, wooden cart ride, trek
fishing and diving
whale exit
surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing

Why go to Itampolo?

Many tourist guides portray Itampolo as an ode to natural seaside beauty.

Attractions of Itampolo

First, its spectacular beach and its endless dunes, coconut palms planted in this setting against a backdrop of crystal clear waters. It is the beach of Salapaly Bay with turquoise and transparent waters that rewards anyone wishing to undertake the Itampolo adventure. Did you know that the southern end of one of the largest coral reefs in the world is located here?

The show is in full swing for an improvised bivouac on the beach, where outrigger canoes and their nets of a green color contrasting with the sand and the setting sun are strewn.

Endemism in Itampolo Tulear

Here, the lemur is king as in all of Madagascar. The Tsimanampetsotsa nature reserve in the north is home to very old baobabs, it bears the name of the salt lake where one of the oldest fish in the world lives, very rare to observe (blind fish or Typhleotris madagascariensis).

Colonies of pink flamingos enhance the adventure, not to mention the formidable ballet of humpback whales between July and November.

You will also be able to appreciate the following sites for your deep south expedition

Ifaty
Morondava
Belo-sur-Tsiribihina
Andavadoaka
Ampanihy
Evatra
Miandrivazo…

How to get there ? -

Featured on one of the best travel guides, the traditional fishing village is nearly 370 km from the city of Tuléar by following the RN10 - (journey of more than 9 hours), or 140 km from Anakao by the very beautiful coastal track.

By plane, the journey takes just under two hours between Antananarivo (TNR international airport) and Tuléar aerodrome (TLE).

This locality is on the way to / from Beloha, 8 hours drive (total of 222 km on the RN 10).

You should also know that Itampolo is 444 km from the town of Tolagnaro (Fort-Dauphin) or 15 hours by road.