A long island off the east coast, Sainte-Marie combines coconut-fringed beaches, a pirate past and one of the world's best humpback-whale-watching spots.
Nosy Boraha, better known as Sainte-Marie, stretches some sixty kilometres along Madagascar's east coast. Every austral winter, humpback whales come to calve in the channel between the island and the mainland — an unforgettable sight. The rest of the year, visitors come for its calm lagoons, fishing villages and timeless atmosphere, best explored by bicycle or scooter.
Island off the east coast, opposite Soanierana Ivongo.
July to September for the whales; May to December for the driest weather.
Domestic flight from Antananarivo, or boat from Soanierana Ivongo.
3 to 5 days.
From July to September, boat trips bring you close to humpback whales as they breach, sing and parade with their calves — a highlight of any trip to Madagascar. On land, the pirate cemetery recalls that in the 18th century the island was one of the Indian Ocean's most famous buccaneer hideouts. Touring the island by bicycle or scooter, from cove to village, is the other great classic.
To the south, separated by a channel a few hundred metres wide that you cross by dugout canoe, Île aux Nattes is a postcard come to life: translucent lagoon, white sand and palm-thatch huts beneath the coconut trees. In the north of Sainte-Marie, the natural rock pools and the deserted ocean-side beaches of Ampanihy reward those who venture beyond the tracks.
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