Madagascar
Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
169km²
Area
139km
Coastline
112m
Highest point
16,325
People
29°C
Warmest sea
February
980km
To the mainland
When to go to Nosy Boraha
Best for the beach from January to February and from September to November.
The sea is warmest in February (29 °C) and coolest in August (24 °C). You can swim comfortably all year (21 °C or more).
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island in Madagascar
Nosy Boraha is an island in Madagascar. It covers 169 km², with 139 km of coastline. Its highest point rises to 112 m. About 16,325 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 980 km away.
Getting there
- Sainte Marie Airport (SMS)airport on the island, with scheduled flightsCar hire at TNR airport (Antananarivo)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesSoanierana Ivongo - Sainte-Marie, El Condor Mahambo - Sainte-Marie
- 980 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From January to February and from September to Novemberbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
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On the island
What you find on Nosy Boraha.
- 3beachesNatural Pools
- 1viewpoints
- 1lighthousesFanilo Albrand Lighthouse
- 1ferry terminals
- 1waterfalls
- 1dive centresLe Lémurien Palmé
- 37hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 34restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 27 m above the sea. 100 % of it is below 200 m.
- 88 %0–50 m
- 12 %50–200 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
20 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 |
| Night low (°C) | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Sea (°C) | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Rain (mm) | 261 | 216 | 291 | 160 | 121 | 86 | 88 | 52 | 39 | 49 | 70 | 149 |
| Wet days | 26 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 20 |
| Sun h/day | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9.1 |
| Wind (km/h) | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.2 | −0.1 | −0.3 | −0.1 | ±0.0 | −0.5 | −0.1 | −0.2 | −0.1 | +0.5 | ±0.0 | −0.1 |
| 2021 | +0.5 | +0.8 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.2 | −0.1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | ±0.0 | −0.1 | +0.5 | +0.3 |
| 2022 | +0.6 | −0.2 | −0.1 | −0.6 | −0.4 | −0.3 | −0.4 | ±0.0 | −0.3 | −0.5 | −0.2 | −0.2 |
| 2023 | ±0.0 | −0.2 | +0.4 | +0.7 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +0.7 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +1.0 | +0.9 | +0.8 |
| 2024 | +0.9 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.2 | +0.2 | +0.7 | +1.1 | +0.9 | +0.4 | +1.0 | +0.6 |
| 2025 | +0.8 | +1.2 | +0.5 | +0.9 | +0.8 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +0.3 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.7 | +0.4 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
About these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q1321311) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
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