Montagne des Français

Le Paysage Harmonieux Protégé d’Ambohitr’Antsingy Montagne des Français officially created in 2015 is a conspicuous landscape equally sharing and drawing the same fame and attention to residents of the town of Antsiranana as the sugar loaf, Nosy Lonjo, both culturally and “religiously.” Since 1956 indeed, catholic churchgoers join the foot of the massif once a year on the eve of the Sunday that precedes “Palm Sunday” for a pilgrimage along a trail dubbed “The Way of The Cross” that reveals fourteen crosses designed and erected under the supervision of father Perrin to commemorate and celebrate the “Passion of Christ. ” On that day of prayer and celebration, religious and non-religious, youngsters and adults residents alike congregate on a communion to meditate about their faith, enjoy nature and outdoor activities and picnic with friends and loved ones.

Located seven kilometers eastwards of the town of Antsiranana, le Paysage Harmonieux Protégé d’Ambohitr’Antsingy Montagne des Français is the closest protected area to the town of Antsiranana where visitors can enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking and climbing, observe two species of baobabs, Adansonia suarezensis and Adansonia madagascariensis, encounter wildlife of birds, reptiles and on occasional, short sighting, lemurs. The visit of the northern side of Montagne des Français could start with a short walk to the valley of the baobabs and then proceed up to the summit of the massif partly following the “The Way of The Cross” hiking alternately in dry shrub, dry deciduous forest that has an open canopy at approximately 11 meters, dry thicket on the limestone plateaus and xerophytic rupicolous vegetation on limestone pavement. Succulent trees of Pachypodium, euphorbe and flame trees grow in areas shadowed by boulders. Along the way up to the northern summit of the massif of Montagne des Français, a staircase long 210 m of 600 flights, the longest stair known in Madagascar, traversing a hand carved tunnel, recalls the path followed by soldiers, mainly Senegalese riflemen, on duty of pulling trolleys of building materials and equipment used in the erection of the fortifications of Anosiravo on the plateau of the north side of Montagne des Français used to shelter an optical station on this exceptional strategic lookout given 360° control over the harbour of then Diego Suarez and all of its coastal shores. Ruins of barracks and the main optical station construction scatter the plateau, covered by colonizing vegetation.

The trail from the northern entrance of the Paysage Harmonieux Protégé d’Ambohitr’Antsingy Montagne des Français to the fortification of Anosiravo is long about 4.6 km in a return trip for a difference in height of about 341 m and will take roughly 2.30 hours hike.