Nosy Iranja

Nosy Iranja is two islands, a larger inhabited one and a small uninhabited one, linked by a sandbar about two kilometres long that is walkable at low tide and submerged at high, which is the image that sells the trip and is genuinely striking when the timing works. Hawksbill and green turtles nest on the beaches, and a small conservation presence monitors the nests. The larger island has a village and a lighthouse attributed to the Eiffel workshops, reached by a short climb for the view along the bar. The crossing from Nosy Be takes about two hours each way in open sea, which makes for a long day, and the sea has to be calm enough for the boats to run at all.

What you actually see

• The sandbar - a two-kilometre white spit linking the two islets.
• Turtle beaches - nesting sites monitored on the shore.
• The lighthouse - a short climb for the view down the bar.
• The village - the small settlement on the larger island.

When to go

April to November for the sea crossing. Tide times decide whether the sandbar is walkable, so ask before booking. December to March is cyclone season and trips stop.

Honest expectations

Four hours of open-sea boat for a few hours ashore is a hard day, and the crossing is rough and wet in swell. The sandbar is only exposed around low tide. Turtle nests must not be approached or dug at, and lights on the beach at night disturb nesting. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Nosy Be lies northeast; Nosy Komba is on the way back.