Kirindy Mitea National Park, National park with diverse ecosystems on the southwest coast of Madagascar.
Kirindy Mitea National Park is a protected area in southwestern Madagascar that covers dry forest, savanna, sandy beaches, dunes, mangroves, and coral reefs along the Mozambique Channel. The park sits where land and sea meet, so the terrain changes noticeably as you move from the inland forest toward the coast.
The area was set aside as a protected reserve in 1997 to safeguard its plant and animal life. About a decade later it was upgraded to a national park and opened more formally to visitors.
The Sakalava people have lived along this coast for centuries and their daily life is closely tied to the sea and the forest. In nearby villages, you can see traditional fishing boats and small markets where the local catch is sold each morning.
The park entrance is south of Morondava, reachable by road or by speedboat depending on your starting point. Some tracks become hard to pass in the wet season, so checking conditions before you set out is worth the effort.
The dry forest section of the park is one of the only places in the world where Madame Berthe's mouse lemur lives, a primate so tiny it can fit in the palm of a hand. Even experienced guides rarely spot one, as the animal is active only at night and blends into the leaf litter almost perfectly.
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