Nosy Lonja

Northern Madagascar


The small island of Nosy Lonja, in the middle of the Baie des Français, is known in French as Pain de Sucre (Sugar Loaf), as it resembles the much larger Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro harbour in Brazil. It’s off limits to foreigners and considered sacred by the Malagasy, who use it for fijoroana (ceremonies invoking the ancestors).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Madagascar attractions

1. Tsena

2.17 MILES

During French colonial times, areas of Diego Suarez south of Pl Foch were less inhabited by the French and much more Malagasy. The Tsena is the largest of…

2. Cathédrale Saint Matthieu

2.63 MILES

Diego Suarez's Roman Catholic cathedral was built in 1909 to replace the previous wooden church destroyed by the terrible cyclone of 1894. The bell tower…

3. Maison Cassam Chenaï

2.66 MILES

In 1898 the Cassam Chenaï family of Gujerat arrived in Diego Suarez. Mamodaly opened his ever popular shop 10 years later. Members of the family are still…

4. Jardin Tropical

2.69 MILES

Set in a cyclone-ravaged Creole house in the French residential quarter, the Jardin Tropical provides a welcome, leafy green space in the centre of town…

5. Japanese Monument

2.83 MILES

'Here died two brave Japanese sailors on 3 June 1942' reads the inscription on the memorial erected by the Japanese Embassy 30 years later. The sailors,…

6. Tribunal

2.94 MILES

A fine example of colonial architecture, the Tribunal is an imposing building that still operates as the courthouse. It was built in 1907.

7. La Résidence

2.99 MILES

The former Governer's residence, now administrative offices, was first built in 1897. Overlooking the sea, it was often battered by cyclones and parts…

8. Hôtel des Mines

3.02 MILES

Once a magnificent hotel overlooking the sea, the Hôtel des Mines is now in ruins. Built in the early 1900s by Frenchman Alphonse Mortages who made his…

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