The Avenue of the Baobabs is a stretch of dirt road lined with about a dozen Grandidier’s baobabs, near Morondava on the west coast of Madagascar. The site can be visited freely, with no official ticket office: people come mainly at sunrise or sunset, with a driver from Morondava. This page explains what the site is, how it is protected, what the UK FCDO and the U.S. State Department say about travel in the region, and gives the exact sunset time for each month.
To prepare your trip, see our guide to traveling to Madagascar, our page on the best time to visit Madagascar and our map of Madagascar.
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Avenue of the Baobabs: key facts
- Location: Menabe region, on the track between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina
- Trees: about a dozen Adansonia grandidieri, an endemic species, up to 30 meters (98 ft) tall, more than 800 years old (Wikipedia)
- Access: free; according to Wikipedia, the site has no conventional visitor center or entry fee
- Protection: temporary protection granted in July 2007 by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests
- Safety: the UK FCDO notes frequent armed robberies on main roads, particularly at night and outside major towns, and advises avoiding driving at night; the U.S. State Department rates Madagascar Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) — read on 26 October 2026 on GOV.UK (updated 9 September 2026) and travel.state.gov (advisory updated December 4, 2025)
What is the Avenue of the Baobabs?
Grandidier’s baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is one of the baobab species unique to Madagascar. Malagasy people call it renala, which Wikipedia translates as « mother of the forest ». Along the track, about a dozen specimens some thirty meters tall form a straight avenue, amid rice paddies and fields. Nothing about this landscape was planted: these trees are the survivors of a dense forest that once covered the region. It was cleared for farming, and the baobabs, spared, now stand isolated.
According to Wikipedia, the protected area covers 3.3 km² (1.3 sq mi). The site received temporary protection in July 2007, a first step toward classification as a natural monument. It is not a national park. It remains threatened by deforestation, bush fires and runoff from rice paddies and sugar cane plantations. The Malagasy NGO Fanamby and Conservation International launched an ecotourism project there, and new facilities were built in 2018.
Visiting the site
There is no ticket and no published official opening time. Wikipedia says the site has no entry fee and that local people earn little from tourism: buying local crafts or hiring a guide from the area is a way to involve them. If you are asked for a contribution or a parking fee on site, ask who collects it and what it is for; we found no published official rate.
What to know on site
- The track is dirt: depending on the season, it can be dusty or muddy.
- The baobabs are protected: do not climb them and do not carve anything into the trunks.
- Drones and photos of people: ask permission from the residents you photograph.
- Bring water, a headlamp and mosquito repellent for sunset.
- There is no lighting: the return trip is in the dark if you stay after sunset.
Getting there from Morondava, and safety
Morondava is the nearest town, with an airport. You reach the avenue by the track, in a vehicle with a driver, a local taxi or as part of a tour. We give no distance or journey time, for lack of an official source: ask your driver or agency, and allow margins, as the condition of the track varies.
Safety is central to a sunset visit, which means a return in the dark. According to the UK FCDO (GOV.UK, updated 9 September 2026), there are frequent armed robberies on main roads, particularly at night and outside major towns; it advises using a recognized tour operator or having your hotel arrange transport, and to avoid driving at night, as vehicles often have no lights and few roads are lit. It also notes violent robberies and assaults even in daytime on isolated and remote beaches, especially for people alone, and says armed criminals have boarded boats on the Tsiribihina River in western Madagascar and robbed passengers. The U.S. State Department rates Madagascar Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory updated December 4, 2025), saying violent crime such as armed robbery and assault occurs throughout the country, particularly after dark, in remote areas and along major national roads in the south and west.
Practical consequence: if you want to see the sunset, do it with a driver or agency you know, on a short route, and find out current conditions. Sunrise, with a pre-dawn start but a return in daylight, is an alternative. Read both pages in full — GOV.UK and travel.state.gov — before you go.
Booking an excursion or transfer in Morondava
For the Avenue of the Baobabs, most travelers use a driver-guide, a local agency or a tour that includes the west coast. Points to check before booking: the type of vehicle (a 4×4 in the rainy season), the planned return time relative to sunset, the provider’s insurance, the guide’s language and what is included (stops, waiting time on site, combination with other sites).
Sunrise and sunset at the Avenue of the Baobabs
At these tropical latitudes, days vary little: nearly eleven hours in June, more than thirteen in December. The sun sets earlier in the austral winter (June–July) than in the austral summer. The times below, calculated for the 15th of each month in Madagascar time, help set your departure time.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length (h:min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:34 | 18:48 | 13:13 |
| February | 05:53 | 18:39 | 12:45 |
| March | 06:04 | 18:17 | 12:13 |
| April | 06:13 | 17:51 | 11:38 |
| May | 06:23 | 17:33 | 11:10 |
| June | 06:35 | 17:30 | 10:55 |
| July | 06:37 | 17:38 | 11:01 |
| August | 06:24 | 17:49 | 11:25 |
| September | 05:58 | 17:56 | 11:58 |
| October | 05:32 | 18:04 | 12:32 |
| November | 05:14 | 18:19 | 13:04 |
| December | 05:16 | 18:37 | 13:21 |
For the seasons (dry and rainy), see our page on the best time to visit Madagascar. The UK FCDO notes that in the rainy season, from December to April, many secondary roads are impassable except by 4-wheel-drive vehicles and bridges are often washed away.
Photographing the avenue
At sunset the light hits the trunks from the side; at sunrise the silhouettes stand out against a clear sky. The pools and rice paddies at the foot of the trees create reflections in the wet season. A wide-angle lens frames the alignment, a telephoto lens compresses the trunks. Respect the residents who use the track with carts and herds: this is not a closed set but a through road.
Common mistakes
- Going without a driver or provider you know for a sunset visit, with a return by road at night.
- Underestimating the condition of the track in the rainy season.
- Paying an « entrance fee » without knowing who it goes to: no official rate is published.
- Climbing on trunks or roots for a photo.
What to see elsewhere in Madagascar
After the west coast, many travelers head to the capital or the beaches of the north: see our guides to Antananarivo and Nosy Be, and our page on the time difference with Madagascar. For passport, visa and health rules, see entry requirements for Madagascar.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fee for the Avenue of the Baobabs?
No official entry fee is published; Wikipedia says the site charges none. A contribution or parking fee may be requested locally: ask who it goes to.
How many baobabs are there?
About a dozen Grandidier’s baobabs, some thirty meters (98 ft) tall and more than 800 years old according to Wikipedia.
What is the best time to go?
Sunrise or sunset. Sunset means a return in the dark: the UK FCDO advises avoiding driving at night and notes frequent armed robberies on main roads at night, so arrange the trip with a provider you know.
Is the site protected?
Yes: it received temporary protection in July 2007, a first step toward classification as a natural monument. It is not a national park.
How do you get to the Avenue of the Baobabs?
From Morondava, by the track, with a driver, a local taxi or on an organized tour.
Our sources
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), Madagascar travel advice (updated 9 September 2026), read on 26 October 2026
- U.S. Department of State (travel.state.gov): Madagascar Travel Advisory, Level 2 (updated December 4, 2025) and Madagascar Country Information, read on 26 October 2026
- Wikipedia article « Avenue of the Baobabs » (formerly consulted in its French edition, « Allée des baobabs »), consulted on 24 October 2026
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, applied by Destination de Voyage to the coordinates of the Avenue of the Baobabs (Wikipedia) (15th of each month, year 2027, clear horizon)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices, hours and access rules may change: check the official website before you go.
