Nosy Iranja

Island Madagascar, Madagascar

Nosy Iranja is a small island in Madagascar, located near the northwestern coast of the island, off the Ampasindava peninsula, about an hour by boat from Nosy Be. It consists of two islands (a larger one, Nosy Iranja Be and a smaller one, Nosy Iranja Kely) connected by a 2 km long sandbank, which only surfaces at low tide. On the highest part of the main island stands a lighthouse, designed by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, built in 1909 during the colonial period. The island's beaches are an important breeding site for the hawksbill turtle.