Destinations

Antsirabe

A cool-climate spa town, Madagascar's rickshaw capital and the gateway to the volcanic lakes of Vakinankaratra.

Photo: User:Hardscarf — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Mirado Rakotoarison · updated on 14 July 2026

Perched at 1,500 m on the RN7, Antsirabe grew around its hot springs in colonial times, as its wide avenues and retro architecture still show. Today it is a city of artisans, renowned for zebu-horn craft, embroidery and miniature workshops, best explored to the rhythm of the hundreds of rickshaws that fill its streets.

At a glance

Location: Central highlands, Vakinankaratra region, 170 km south of Antananarivo on the RN7.
Best time to visit: April to October (dry season); pack warm layers, nights are chilly year-round.
Getting there: A 3–4 hour drive from Antananarivo on the RN7, by bush taxi or private car with driver.
Suggested stay: 1 to 2 days, as a stopover on the road south.

What to see in Antsirabe

Independence Avenue and its 1923 railway station set the tone: Antsirabe has kept an old-world charm, from the Hôtel des Thermes to its colonial buildings and the sprawling Asabotsy market. Don't leave without a ride in a pousse-pousse (rickshaw), a local institution, or a visit to the artisan workshops: polished zebu horn, embroidery, homemade sweets and miniature bicycles and cars built from recycled materials.

Nearby

Some twenty kilometres away, Lake Tritriva, deep blue at the bottom of its volcanic crater, is the area's finest excursion — you can walk around it in an hour. The more accessible Lake Andraikiba is popular with families. Cyclists can explore the Vakinankaratra countryside, through terraced rice fields and villages, out to Betafo and its farming landscapes recognised as a globally important agricultural heritage system.