Reaching Madagascar by Sea

Distances Between Islands

From Madagascar to...

Comoros (Anjouan): Diego Suarez 530 km; Majunga 440 km.

African Coast (Mozambique): Majunga 620 km; Tuléar 930 km.

Mayotte: Diego Suarez 450 km; Majunga 350 km.

Mauritius: Diego Suarez 1,250 km; Tamatave 890 km.

Réunion: Diego Suarez 1,180 km; Tamatave 720 km.

Seychelles: Diego Suarez 1,100 km

Ferries/Cargo Ships

Beyond cargo ships departing from mainland France or elsewhere with Madagascar (and Toamasina, its main port) as a destination or stopover.

To/From Réunion

There is a maritime connection, more or less biweekly, between Réunion and Tamatave on Madagascar’s east coast. It is operated by a freight-passenger cargo ship from Mauritius Shipping Corporation, the same company that runs the Réunion-Mauritius route. Allow 36 hours at sea for a fare starting at around 300 €.

To/From Mayotte and the Comoros

From Anjouan (Comoros), it is possible to reach Mahajanga on the northwest coast via a weekly boat (Tuesdays) operated by SGTM. The one-way trip from Anjouan to Majunga costs around 90 €.

Additionally, from Anjouan to Mayotte, there is a biweekly service between the two islands. The journey is made by the *Maria Galanta*, also operated by SGTM, which can accommodate 200 passengers. A round-trip ticket costs 160 €.

African Coasts

There are no regular cargo routes that take passengers, let alone ferries. Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya) are the two main ports on the East African coast, along with Durban for South Africa.

Cruises

There are not many cruises sailing the Indian Ocean, and when a liner (often departing from South Africa) docks on the island, it stops at Nosy Be or Diego Suarez and its bay. However, locally—especially in Nosy Be—you can find small two- or three-day sailing cruises around the islands or along the coast.

Sailboats

The Indian Ocean is not a major yachting area, at least for boats based outside the region. As a result, few sailboats travel to Madagascar. They are mostly found—and logically so—outside the rainy and cyclone season (November–March), primarily around Nosy Be or Saint Mary's Island.