Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be
Madagascar's official tourism board identifies Nosy Be as a major island and marine visitor destination.
Cruise planning
Research Nosy Bé cruise calls before you travel.
Use the timetable to see upcoming cruise ship calls, busy-day signals, ship counts, and port context alongside the guide, map, weather, and readiness tools.
Schedule note
Port schedules can change because of weather, berth availability, itinerary updates, and operational decisions. Verify important times with your cruise line or the port authority before travel.
At a glance
Port profile
Country, code, and on-shore essentials.
Country
Madagascar
Port code
MGNOS
Coordinates
-13.315, 48.259
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Your port day at a glance
Plan your time ashore in Nosy Bé
Nosy Be is an exact passenger arrival with call-specific port, transfer, and return-time requirements.
Before going ashore
Before going ashore, confirm the berth or tender point, local time, all-aboard deadline, and the meeting location for any independently booked transport or tour.
Arrival
Usually tenders
Town access
Walkable
Can you explore independently?
Choose one local plan or one properly timed regional excursion rather than combining uncertain transport links.
VoyagePro planning verdict
This port works best when you confirm the exact arrival point, choose one coherent plan, and protect the return to the ship with a comfortable time buffer.
Best for
- •Travelers who confirm the exact arrival point
- •A focused local plan
- •One well-timed longer outing
Needs extra planning when
- •Your transfer or pickup point has not been confirmed
- •Your itinerary depends on several tightly timed stops
- •Your plan assumes every attraction can be reached on foot
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Step off the ship with a plan
Arrival, terminals and getting into town
Confirm the actual berth first—local access can change substantially between terminals.
Where your ship arrives
Cruise ships anchor off Nosy Be and tender to Hell-Ville or another announced landing, subject to weather and harbour instructions.
Getting into town
Hell-Ville is local from its landing; beaches, Lokobe, viewpoints, and surrounding islands require taxi, 4x4, boat, or organized excursion.
Port shuttle
Do not assume a shuttle; use only a port or ship service announced for the exact berth or tender landing.
Taxi and local transport
Use only the marked passenger pickup area and prebook scarce or accessible vehicles.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
What official and local sources say
Local details from reviewed sources
A concise summary of useful details found in port, municipal, transport, terminal, and tourism material.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Build a realistic day
Choose a plan by time in port
Start with the usable time you have ashore, then leave a comfortable return margin.
Quick call
2–3 hours
Independent exploration is practical only after confirming the exact landing and protecting the ship return time.
Half day
4–6 hours
Hell-Ville, Lokobe Reserve, beaches, Mont Passot, lemur experiences, and one carefully timed marine or island plan are the main choices. Hell-Ville is local from its landing; beaches, Lokobe, viewpoints, and surrounding islands require taxi, 4x4, boat, or organized excursion.
Long call
7+ hours
Hell-Ville, Lokobe Reserve, beaches, Mont Passot, lemur experiences, and one carefully timed marine or island plan are the main choices. Keep the ship's all-aboard time as a hard deadline and allow extra time for weather, traffic, queues, security, or tender operations.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Plan for comfort
Accessibility and mobility
Mobility overview
Tender steps, heat, rough roads, boat transfers, sand, and forest trails can substantially limit accessibility.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Avoid the rushed version of this port
Common planning mistakes
1
Not checking the arrival point
2
Assuming everything is walkable
3
Leaving no return margin
Keep the ship's all-aboard time as a hard deadline and allow extra time for weather, traffic, queues, security, or tender operations.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Answers from reviewed guide sources
Nosy Bé port questions
These answers use the reviewed operational fields above; check the linked source when a detail affects a booking or transfer.
Will the ship dock or tender?
Cruise ships anchor off Nosy Be and tender to Hell-Ville or another announced landing, subject to weather and harbour instructions.
How do I get from the ship into town?
Hell-Ville is local from its landing; beaches, Lokobe, viewpoints, and surrounding islands require taxi, 4x4, boat, or organized excursion.
Should I plan a shuttle, taxi, or transfer?
Do not assume a shuttle; use only a port or ship service announced for the exact berth or tender landing. Use only the marked passenger pickup area and prebook scarce or accessible vehicles.
Can I explore independently?
Choose one local plan or one properly timed regional excursion rather than combining uncertain transport links.
Source summary1 source
This section draws on information from Madagascar National Tourism Board – Nosy Be.
Guide review and sources
Operational details can change by berth, weather, and ship call. Confirm important arrangements before travel.
Reviewed Jul 18, 2026
1 source
View source list
Build a route you can actually use
Practical places around Nosy Bé
Choose a few places that fit your time ashore, then check access and transport before setting out.
Transport starting point
Hell-Ville is local from its landing; beaches, Lokobe, viewpoints, and surrounding islands require taxi, 4x4, boat, or organized excursion.
Arrival location reference
Nosy Be cruise destination reference· Cruise destination area
Local landmark
Hell-Ville
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be.
Read more
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Treat this as a longer outing and protect the ship return with confirmed transport and a generous time margin.
Longer outing; confirmed transport recommended
Nature and park
Lokobe Reserve
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be.
Read more
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Treat this as a longer outing and protect the ship return with confirmed transport and a generous time margin.
Longer outing; confirmed transport recommended
Local landmark
Mont Passot
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be.
Read more
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Plan local transport from the assigned terminal or landing rather than assuming this stop is walkable.
Local transport may be needed from the arrival point
Local landmark
lemur experiences
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be.
Read more
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Use the official visitor information for directions. No sufficiently reliable geotagged match was found, so this place is intentionally not pinned.
No verified map pinPlace information
Coastal landmark
one carefully timed marine or island plan
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be.
Read more
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Nosy Be. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Use the official visitor information for directions. No sufficiently reliable geotagged match was found, so this place is intentionally not pinned.
No verified map pinPlace information
Source summary4 sources
Reviewed 2026-07-25. Location placement, transport, and attraction information retain separate sources so each can be checked and updated independently.
Live port-day planner
Plan my port day in Nosy Bé
Choose an upcoming call and ship to turn the published schedule into a practical planning window.
Choose a call date
Choose your ship
Your selected call
Le Dumont-d'Urville
Arrival
7:00am
Departure
Not published
Scheduled window
Not published
1 ship that day
Up to 184 passenger capacity
Return checkpoint unavailable
A departure time has not been published for this ship. Confirm the official all-aboard time onboard before making plans ashore.
Guide match for this window
Confirm your ship's times, then choose one coherent local plan with a comfortable return margin.
Schedule source summary
Dates, ships, and times come from the currently published cruise-call records. Schedules can change, and passenger totals represent available ship-capacity data rather than a forecast of people going ashore.
Destination guide
About Nosy Bé
Nosy Bé, meaning Big Island in the Malagasy language, lies just a stone's throw off Madagascar's northwest coast. It is a remote and exotic destination. With its deserted beaches, rustic hotels and unhurried pace, it attracts travellers looking for a laid-back vacation. The fertile island is the centre for the production of perfume essence from the ylang-ylang trees.
The heady scent of their flowers gave Nosy Bé the name "Perfumed Isle." Other local products include sugar cane, coffee, vanilla and pepper; they are grown for export in large plantations. Hellville, the island’s main town and port, is situated in a sheltered bay. It is named after a former French governor, Admiral de Hell. The town features a few old colonial buildings, a busy market, some small boutiques and tourist shops along the busy main street.
At the quayside, vendors display embroidered linens, wood carvings and straw articles. Trips into the lush countryside may include a ride up to Mt. Passot. At 950 feet (285 metres), this is the highest point on the island. The view from the top offers an extensive panorama of crater lakes nestled between verdant hills.
Most visitors make the boat trip to Nosy Komba. The tiny island is known for its lemur reserve. These arboreal primates, with their large eyes, soft fur and long curling tails, have lived unharmed for centuries in the forest behind Ampangorina village. The lemurs are a popular tourist attraction and a profitable source of income to the small local community.
Keep exploring
Nearby port guides
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Explore ashore
Shore excursions in Nosy Bé
Explore tour options for your port day. Check the meeting point and return time against your ship’s schedule before booking.
Excursion listings are not connected for this port yet.
This does not mean Shore Excursions Group has no tours here. You can check their current options directly.
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Photo credits
Place photos are resized for display and cropped where needed.