An island of palm trees, pirates and playful whales. Ile Sainte Marie is a romantic, low-key beach escape ideal for relaxing after your Madagascar safari trip.
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Just off Madagascar’s east coast lies Ile Sainte Marie — known by some as Ile St Marie — a laid-back tropical island with calm coral lagoons, swaying palms, and soft white sands. With just one real town and a cute airport at its southern tip, it’s one of the best places to unwind after a lemur safari on the mainland.
The picturesque island of Sainte Marie boasts scenery to rival the Seychelles. The tropical climate delivers verdant green vegetation. Add in a mysterious pirate history and it has romance written all over it.
The island is only 60km long and 7km wide, making it easy to explore by bicycle or pousse-pousse (Madagascar’s charming bicycle taxis).
Whether you’re after a romantic Ile Sainte Marie hotel for two or a family-friendly beachside eco-lodge, this island offers relaxed charm without big resorts.
To many people, this tiny car-free island off the south tip of Ile Sainte Marie is even better than the main island. With crystal-clear shallows, no cars, and a walkable circumference of 8km, it's ideal for a day trip—or a few nights in one of the tiny beachfront guesthouses. The north coast is postcard-perfect, with calm tides and powder-soft sand. Add in turquoise clear waters, charming seafood restaurants and orchids. Absolute paradise!
Accommodation on Ile Sainte Marie is charmingly low-key. Choose from:
Chat to us about the possibilities.
Post-Safari Chill-Out: Fly daily from Antananarivo (Tana) straight to the island’s tiny airport — only 50 minutes.
Or take a scenic drive along Madagascar’s east coast and ferry over (1–1.5 hours depending on sea conditions). This is perfect if you're combining it with Andasibe and the Canal des Pangalanes.
Eastern Highlands to Ile Sainte Marie
There are also private charters on offer from Tamatave which cut the travel time and allow you to combine Andasibe with Ile Sainte Marie.
From whale-watching season to the best Ile Sainte Marie hotel for your style and budget, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch, and we’ll help you build the perfect finale to your Madagascar journey.
I loved Princesse Bora Lodge. There is a great sense of space (which many of the other hotels on Ile Sainte Marie don’t have, being hemmed in by the road running alongside the coast.) This hotel however is spread out over lovely gardens with a stretch of almost private beach.
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