Antsiranana and the Bay of Diego Suarez

French Naval Town On A Huge Natural Bay With The Sugar Loaf Rock, Emerald Sea Sandbanks And Three Bays; A Top Kitesurf And Sailing Area, The Gateway To Ankarana, Montagne D'Ambre And The Red Tsingy · Antsiranana, Diana

Antsiranana, still called Diego Suarez by many people, is the port town at the very top of Madagascar, set on one of the largest natural bays in the world. The French made it a naval base, and you can still see grey colonial barracks, wide avenues and the old naval buildings, mixed with Malagasy markets and a Vietnamese-style harbour quarter that grew up around the port. The town itself is modest and hot, and most visitors treat it as a base rather than a destination. The reward is the bay: the tall Sugar Loaf rock (Pain de Sucre) standing in the water, the sandbanks of the Emerald Sea (Mer d'Emeraude) reached by boat, the quiet beach village of Ramena, and the Three Bays (Trois Baies) to the north. Strong winds blow for much of the dry season, which makes this a respected kitesurf and windsurf area. It is also the gateway to Ankarana, Montagne d'Ambre and the Tsingy Rouge, which are separate places. Expect heat, dust and patchy facilities outside town.

Port city at the northern tip of Madagascar on one of the world's largest natural bays, with Ramena beach 20 km east, Antsiranana, Diana, Madagascar

The town and its markets run all day, roughly dawn to late afternoon, with the main market busiest in the morning. Beaches, Sugar Loaf and the Emerald Sea have no gates and no admission, so walking the shore is FREE. Boat trips to the sandbanks run in daylight, mostly mornings, and depend on wind and tide. Boats and kite schools can be quiet or shut in the cyclone and rainy months roughly January to March, so confirm what is running before you travel.

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