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"Organ Pipes": these are tubular basalt columns of volcanic origin
Grande Mitsio, also simply known as Nosy Mitsio, is part of the Mitsio archipelago, which, being outside the mass tourism circuits, remains unspoiled (it consists of about eighty islands and rocks, almost entirely uninhabited). Grande Mitsio is the largest island in the archipelago and the only one permanently inhabited by indigenous populations (around 1,500 people, spread across several small villages), who are dedicated to fishing and the cultivation of rice and coconut palms. The island is extraordinarily beautiful and offers great photographic opportunities: landscapes, numerous geological formations, forests of palms and baobabs, marine life (coral reefs, opportunities for dolphin, whale, and turtle sightings), and birdlife.
One of the most striking features are the spectacular geological formations. On the southwestern coast of the island, you can admire the "Organ Pipes": these are tubular basalt columns of volcanic origin that rise vertically into the sky, reflecting in the sea, surrounded by baobabs and vegetation that clings to the rocks. On the walls of the Organ Pipes and nearby, you can find nesting sites for seabirds like boobies, frigates, white-tailed tropicbirds, and Madagascar fishing eagles.
In the northeastern part of the island, you can admire the rock known as Rocher Bateaux: once again, this is a basaltic formation, located just a few hundred meters off the coast of Nosy Mitsio, resembling the profile of a ship. In addition to the landscapes and endemic flora and fauna, visitors can interact with the local populations, who are very hospitable and provide fascinating ethnographic insights.
Nosy Mitsio is still inhabited by the Malagasy Antakarana and Sakalava peoples, who survive through agriculture and goat farming. In its coral reefs, it's possible to encounter manta rays.
Nosy Ankarea, with its superb sun-kissed beaches and striking, colorful (if in bloom) Pachypodium (Madagascar palm), is surrounded by coral reefs in crystal-clear blue waters, making it an ideal spot for snorkeling.
View from Nosy Mitsio
Pachypodium or Madagascar palm
Itinerary:
Departure is scheduled for around 08:00 when a minibus will pick you up directly from your accommodation to head towards Ambatoloka, from where we will embark on a fast speedboat that will take us, in about an hour and a half, to Nosy Mitsio. After visiting the village and snorkeling, we will then travel for about ten minutes by boat to Nosy Ankarea, where we will do more snorkeling in its coral reef. In the afternoon, we will return to be back at your accommodation before dinner time.
The excursion can be done in two different ways
Group tour - a group made up of tourists from different accommodations, but it can only take place if there are at least 8 people.
With lobster lunch on the island: €80 per person
For groups of more than 8 people: €75 per person
Private tour - a group made up only of family and/or friends
With lobster lunch on the island, for those who wish: €650
For the private tour, the speedboat will depart directly from the beach near your accommodation
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