Toliara, still widely called Tulear, is the hot, dusty capital of Madagascar's southwest. It is the end of the classic RN7 route from the highlands and the gateway to a very different island: thorn forest, baobabs, Vezo fishing villages, reef lagoons, and huge dry skies.
The city itself is useful rather than beautiful, though it has more character than a quick transit stop suggests. Pousse-pousse fill the streets, the market is busy, and the coast gives everything a bleached, salty edge. Musee Cedratom is the best in-town stop for context, while the Toliara waterfront is worth a late-day wander.
Most of the strongest sights are just outside the city. The Arboretum d'Antsokay is the essential introduction to the spiny forest, Reniala Reserve adds baobabs and birdlife near Ifaty, and the Fiherenana River marks the dry country around town. Toliara also launches trips to Anakao, which is where the coast starts to feel like a proper escape.