Toamasina is a port city on the east coast of Madagascar. It is still commonly called Tamatave, which was its official name until 1977.

Toamasina is Madagascar's port and second largest city by population. It is also a former pirate-haven. The rows of palm trees of the city's main thoroughfare, l'Avenue de l'Independence, give it a distinct tropical feel. However, the dirty buildings and streets coupled with casinos and rampant prostitution create a sordid vibe. For the average tourist, there is little reason to spend a lot of time here. It is a convenient stopping point for those headed to St. Marie, however.

Climate

Toamasina features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. While Toamasina has no true dry season month where less than 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) of precipitation (on average) falls, the seaport has noticeably wetter and drier periods of the year. September–November is the driest period of the year, while February–April is the wettest time of the year. Average temperatures are relatively constant throughout the course of the year, though it is slightly cooler in the months of July and August, where average highs hover around 24 °C (75 °F) and warmer in the months of January and February, where high temperatures on average reaches 30 °C (86 °F). Toamasina averages roughly 3,368.2 millimeters (132.61 inches) of precipitation annually.