This lively port (pop. 198,000) and former pirate enclave has long avenues and some old colonial buildings (though not as many as it used to have—the city was hit hard by a cyclone in the early 1990s).
It's a popular tourist destination for Malagasy people. If you are in the area, take time to visit the surrounding towns of
Foulpointe (beaches and fort) and
Mahambo (with a scenic area around a creek) and the Ivoloina zoo, about 10 mi/15 km to the north, with lemurs and other species. You can also catch a flight to Nosy Boraha from Toamasina.
135 mi/215 km northeast of Antananarivo.