The Seven Lakes of the Vezo Coast

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By Jordan Lamont · Last updated 10 October 2026

Say it like a local: Onilahy (oo-nee-LAH) — the great southwestern river; Sept Lacs — French for “Seven Lakes”.

The southwest of Madagascar is a land of thirst — spiny desert, baking limestone, a coast where rain is a rumour. Which is exactly what makes the Seven Lakes so startling. Hidden in the Onilahy River basin, on a limestone plateau south of Toliara, lies a chain of spring-fed freshwater lakes wrapped in green forest: a true oasis, in the last place you would look for one. It is one of the southwest’s great secrets, and one of our favourite places tourists never reach.

An oasis in the dry country

The Sept Lacs d’Ifanato are seven freshwater lakes, fed by underground springs rising through a limestone plateau in the basin of the Onilahy River, near the village of Ifanato and roughly 60 kilometres south of Toliara. In a region defined by drought, that permanent water is almost miraculous — and it creates something rarer still: gallery forest, a ribbon of tall green woodland along the river that is uncommon in this part of Madagascar.

A refuge for wildlife

Where there is water and forest, life gathers. The site supports around 79 bird species — including the Humblot’s heron and the Madagascar night heron — alongside endemic lemurs and reptiles, crocodiles in the river, and freshwater fish and turtles in the lakes. For birders and naturalists, this green seam through the dry southwest is a quietly extraordinary place, far from the crowds of the headline parks.

Getting there is the adventure

Reaching the Seven Lakes is part of their charm. The usual route runs from Toliara along the old RN9, through Ambohimahavelona to villages such as Ranomay or Tongobory, from where travellers often continue by pirogue down the Onilahy — the same slender dugout canoes the Vezo build on the coast. Drifting between the lakes and gallery forest by paddle, with the dry plateau beyond, is an experience that belongs to no guidebook highlight reel.

Why it matters today

The Seven Lakes are a reminder that Madagascar’s famous diversity hides in its folds — that even the parched southwest keeps a secret oasis of water, forest and endemic life. For travellers willing to go a little further than the usual stops, it offers solitude, birdlife and a landscape that upends every expectation of the dry south. Compare it with the mysterious highland Lake Tritriva, and find more off-track corners in our secret places guide.

FAQ

What are the Seven Lakes?

The Sept Lacs d’Ifanato are a group of seven spring-fed freshwater lakes on a limestone plateau in the Onilahy River basin of southwest Madagascar, near the village of Ifanato, roughly 60 km south of Toliara.

Why are they remarkable?

They are a green, water-rich oasis in one of the island’s driest regions. Rare gallery forest lines the river, and the site supports around 79 bird species, endemic lemurs and reptiles, and freshwater fish and turtles.

How do you get there?

From Toliara along the old RN9 via Ambohimahavelona to villages such as Ranomay or Tongobory, then often by pirogue down the Onilahy River over a day or more.

Is it a tourist site?

Only lightly. It sees far fewer visitors than the famous parks, which is part of its appeal — it is a genuine off-the-track corner of the southwest.