Madagascar beaches - discover the coast of Madagascar

Last updated: 12 June 2023

The information in this article is inspired by Insight Guide to Madagascar - your essential guide for visiting Madagascar.

Île aux Nattes, Île Sainte-Marie

Off the northeastern coast of Madagascar, Île Sainte-Marie comprises one sliver-like main island, stretching almost 60km (36 miles) from north to south, and a number of islets. This is beach heaven, with palm-fringed, white sand stretches, secluded coves and turquoise, clear waters that are perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving. 

In season, July and August, this is also the best place in Madagascar for whale-watching. Furthermore, Île Sainte-Marie is the land of pirate lore – in the bay surrounding Île Aux Forbans (Pirates' Island) you can visit the evocative Pirate Cemetery of Saint-Perre, where tombs are adorned with tell-tale skull and crossbones emblems.

The best beaches in Sainte-Marie are due south of the island, on an islet locally known as Nosy Nato, and by its French name Île aux Nattes. Car- and road-free, Île aux Nattes is more peaceful than its larger sister island and its pristine white sandy beaches fulfill every expectation of an Indian Ocean island idyl – the most beautiful beaches are in the north of the islet. 

There are charming restaurants where you can enjoy lunch, while a stroll inland to Agniribe offers an insight on local village life. It is possible to walk around the entire islet over two or three hours, stopping en route at the small lighthouse Phare Pointe Blévec, which stands at the island’s highest point and offers beautiful views in all directions.

 Experience the stunning white sand beaches of Île Sainte-Marie as part of Insight Guides Dreaming of Madagascar trip.

Île aux Nattes, Île Sainte-Marie - a beach heaven among the Madagascar islands. Photo: Scarlett Shi/Shutterstock

Baie de Sainte Luce

Northeast of Taolagnaro on the south coast of Madagascar, the Baie de Sainte Luce is one of the most beautiful and secluded stretches of coastline anywhere on the island. Despite this, the bay has a long history of European settlement. It was the site of the island’s earliest French settlement when a short-lived trading post was established here in 1642.

This remote bay’s main terrestrial attraction is the Sainte Luce Reserve, a community-based project founded to conserve the region’s coastal forest. This rare habitat supports endangered collared brown lemurs, numerous amphibians and reptiles, and abundant forest birdlife. Guided walks into forest reserve areas can be arranged out of the rustic Antanosy village of Manafiafy.

Sainte Luce is more-or-less synonymous with the Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge, an exclusive beach retreat set on an exquisite small sheltered bay with a steep-sloping, palm-fringed sandy beach. In addition to guided day and night hikes in the forest reserve, lodge packages include snorkeling excursions, kayaking between nearby rocky islands, and motorboat trips to the mangroves. 

Seasonal whale-watching, when migrant humpback and southern right whales join the resident dolphins, is possible each year from June to December. 

Fishing dugout canoes beached in Sainte Luce. Photo: Shutterstock

Ambondrona, Nosy Be

Off the northwestern tip of Madagascar, the lush tropical island of Nosy Be is known for its relaxed ambience, great year-round weather, superb diving and endearing black lemurs. With a backdrop of the volcanic peaks of Mont Lokobe and Mont Passot, the western seaboard is home to the idyllic beaches of Ambatoloaka and Ambondrona. 

Lined with a mixture of smart resorts and more laid-back hotels, a tall craggy headland separates the two, which collectively stretch for around 4km (2.5 miles). Ambondrona is probably the island’s finest beach, with a very shallow incline and sheltered conditions that ensure calm waters and safe swimming throughout the year. 

Relaxed hotels such as the excellent Nosy Lodge stand on the beach, with their pools and restaurants literally steps away from the sand.

Plage de Ramena

Rising from the second-largest natural bay in the world, the unspoiled beaches and montane forests of northern coast of Madagascar can be explored from the relaxed port city of Diego Suarez. Plage de Ramena is a compact village on the inner shore of one of the peninsulas that separates the bay from the open sea. 

A 40-minute drive from the city center, it has a fine swimming beach and a host of casual, welcoming seafood restaurants and bars set back from the sands either side of the central jetty. 

Ramena is also the springboard for day trips to the beautiful pale turquoise lagoon, northeast of the entrance to Diego Suarez Bay – La Mer d’Emeraude. Only 5km (3 miles) from Ramena by boat, the lagoon is separated from the open ocean by an 8km (5-mile) -long string of coral reefs and islets. 

In the calm weather that usually prevails from December to April, it offers superb swimming conditions and excellent snorkeling opportunities.

Plage de Ramena, Madagascar. Photo: Giampaolo Cianella/Shutterstock

Mitsio Islands - the most remote Madagascar islands

The Mitsio Islands, also known as the Mitsio Archipelago, are a group of islands located off the northwest coast of Madagascar. The archipelago consists of about 20 small islands and islets, the largest and best known of which is Mitsio Island.

Mitsio Island (Nosy Mitsio) can usually be reached from the mainland by boat or yacht. Although the trip to the island takes a few hours, the stunning scenery and white sandy beaches of this island are well worth it.

The island is relatively remote and unspoilt, offering a secluded paradise for travellers looking for a place off the beaten track. Surrounding waters abound with coral reefs, making it a popular destination for snorkelling and diving enthusiasts.

Rocky islands of the Mitsio archipelago near Nosy Be in northern Madagascar. Photo: Shutterstock

Nosy Komba

Rising from a 25-sq-km base to an imperious altitude of 622 metres, magnificent Nosy Komba (Island of Lemurs) or, more correctly, Nosy Ambariovato (Island of Rocky Shores) is distinguished by its classic volcanic profile of steep slopesswathed in a multihued green blanketof rainforest and tall bamboo. 

A popular destination for boat excursions from Nosy Be just 3 km (1.8 miles) north, it can also be visited directly from mainland Ankify, and all three are connected by a regular public ferry service. 

Nosy Komba also forms a popular beach destination on the coast of Madagascar, serviced by a handful of thatched palm-shaded seafront lodges whose appealing rusticity stands in defiant contrast to the more mainstream resorts on Nosy Be.

This Inside Guides trip is a tour of Wild Madagascar: discover dusty desert canyons, lush rainforests teeming with wildlife and trek through national parks. Explore the bustling capital Tana, then stop by the beach at Ifaty where you'll encounter forests of baobab trees and wandering tribesmen.

 Nosy Komba Island. Photo: Shutterstock

Nosy Iranja

Another excellent beach vacation destination for snorkelling is mangrove-lined Nosy Sakatia (Islandof Forbidden Love), which rises to analtitude of 137 metres little more than 1 km offshore of the west coast resort of Ambaro.

Somewhat more remote, situated about 35km southwest of Nosy Be, Nosy Iranja – actually two forested islets linked by a 1km (0.6-mile) - long sandbar – is an importantbreeding site for marine turtles and also offers good snorkelling. 

Moreremote still, Nosy Tsarabanjina, anidyllic islet in the Mitsio Archipelago northeast of Nosy Be, now houses thesuper-luxurious and equally pricey Constance Tsarabanjina, a five-stardestination accessible only by charter flight from Nosy Be.

Nosy Iranja. Photo: Shutterstock

Ready to take a trip to Madagascar?

Insight Guides can organize and book fantastic trips for you in Madagascar. Simply get in touch with us to share your ideas for the trip and let us know when you would like to travel. Local experts will then create a personalized travel itinerary especially, which you can amend until you are happy with every detail before booking. Browse our existing Madagascar itineraries for inspiration and bear in mind that they can be tailored to suit your specific requirements. 

Updated 19 February, 2020