The coast north and south of Toamasina is largely undeveloped and worth exploring. The canal du Pangalanes — a 665-kilometre waterway running parallel to the east coast and connecting a chain of lagoons — begins just south of the city and makes for an excellent day or overnight excursion by dugout canoe or motorised boat. Village life along the canal banks gives a very different picture of Madagascar from the port city.
Foulpointe (Mahavelona), about 60 kilometres north of Toamasina on the RN5, has a sandy beach sheltered by a reef and the ruins of a nineteenth-century fort built by King Radama I. The road there is reasonable in the dry season and the beach is calm and swimmable. Most people make it a long day trip, leaving early from Toamasina.
Mahambo is a further 20 kilometres north of Foulpointe — a small village with bungalow accommodation, good snorkelling on the reef, and humpback whale watching between July and September when the whales pass close to shore.
Both destinations are reached by bush taxi from Toamasina's northern taxi-brousse station; journey times depend heavily on road conditions. A private vehicle is more comfortable and allows flexibility.