Avenue of the Baobabs

The Avenue of the Baobabs is Madagascar's most recognizable image — a stretch of red dirt road flanked by two dozen towering Grandidier's baobabs, their massive trunks and umbrella canopies creating a cathedral-like corridor through the flat western landscape. These are among the world's largest and oldest baobab trees, some reaching 30 metres tall and estimated at over 800 years old.

At sunset, when the baobabs are silhouetted against the blazing Malagasy sky, the avenue becomes one of the most photographed natural scenes in Africa. The trees are remnants of a dense tropical forest that once covered the area — cleared for agriculture, only the baobabs were spared, standing as monuments to a vanished ecosystem.

Nearby, the Baobab Amoureux (Lovers' Baobab) features two massive trunks spiralling around each other in an embrace that has become a symbol of enduring love. The avenue serves as the gateway to western Madagascar and the starting point for expeditions to the Tsingy de Bemaraha.