Pirates in Madagascar
Edward Teach aka Blackbeard
Are you interested in pirates? The newly opened pirate museum in Antananarivo (Tana) is a real treasure trove.
Pirates discovered Madagascar 300 years ago and the island quickly became a favourite hideaway for notorious characters such as Blackbeard, William Kidd as well as a host of lesser known female pirates. Now in memory of this nefarious bunch of people a pirate museum has opened in Antananarivo detailing the lives and tales of the pirates who crisscrossed the Indian Ocean between mainland Africa and Madagascar and as far away as the Caribbean. Find out about the mysterious pirate republic of Libertalia on Ile Sainte Marie.
Opening times
Mon to Fri 08:00 – 17:00
Sat & Sun on request only
The museum is situated in the centre of town, 200 m from the main train station.
Combine your vacation with a shopping trip in Tana and then spend the rest of your trip on Ile Sainte Marie at Baboo Village **, Boraha Village *** or Princesse Bora Lodge & Spa ****.
Pirates in Madagascar
Ile Sainte Marie (Nosy Boraha), a 57 km-long island off Madagascar’s east coast, is an authentic tropical island with lush vegetation interspersed with many small villages. This island is beautiful, offering the ultimate escape from civilisation. The hotels along its coast range from basic to classy establishments with all necessary modern facilities. The lush surroundings bring to mind images of an enormous tropical garden. It’s ideal for honeymoon couples or anybody with a romantic flair. Ile Sainte Marie boasts numerous white sandy beaches and secluded coves, fringed with coconut palms. The coral reefs offshore offer excellent snorkelling and scuba diving. In August and September, hump-backed and other types of whales migrate here and are a huge attraction. The roads beckon mountain bikers and most hotels hire bicycles and snorkelling gear.
Pirates in Madagascar
The Pirate Cemetery is located on the islet in the harbour near the main town Ambodifotatra. At high tide the transfers will be done by pirogue.
A guide is not really necessary for the actual graveyard (usually no English spoken). The cemetery is small some of the names you will recognise are William Kidd (died 1834), though his was a monument, rather than a tomb and other: Joseph Pierre Le Chartier (‘tue 1837 par son ami, a cause de sa femme’ – killed by this friend because of his wife); Mme Rivet nee Giraudeau (1862); Jean-Marie le Thomas (1875).
In 1999 and 2000, Barry Clifford and his Project Team completed three major expeditions to Ile Ste. Marie off the coast of Madagascar, as a Discovery Channel “Quest” initiative, where five shipwreck sites were discovered; including the Adventure Galley (flagship of the infamous William Kidd) and the Fiery Dragon, commanded by the pirate William “Billy One-Hand” Condon. The other three shipwreck sites have been tentatively identified as the Ruparrel, The Mocha Frigate, and The New Soldado. After discovering and decoding cryptic rock carvings, he then used ground penetrating radar to explore an apparent tunnel-complex, similar to the Oak Island “Money Pit”, which may have been constructed by late 17th-century pirates.
Pirates in Madagascar
Ile Aux Nattes is a small island south of Ile Sainte Marie. Off its idyllic beaches are some of the best reefs in the Malagasy region. This is a wonderful option for budget travellers. Boat transport to and from the nearby Ile Sainte Marie is easy to arrange. No cars on the island!
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This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Madagascar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.