An hour and a half north of Tulear (at the southern end of the RN7) is Ifaty, which offers sea, sand, snorkelling, birdlife and also baobabs. It is an ideal spot to relax after the long journey down the RN7 and not only can people relax, but various activities can be organised from the accommodation on the coastline.

The main attractions on the beach include diving, snorkelling and visiting local turtle breeding and conservation programmes. The Reniala forest protects spiny forest and offers 1-2 hour trails which are rewarding for birders and those wishing to see baobabs as it has over 1,000 of them, some being 12m in circumference and over 1,200 years old.

This area of the country is one of the poorest and the forests nearby have been severely under threat. Reefdoctors, a local NGO, works to educate the local community and tourists on sustainable practices and their work can be visited at Ifaty.