In the wild, south-eastern end of Madagascar, Tôlanaro takes the form of a big, bulbous peninsula of scrub-topped rock that's joined to the coastline by a narrow isthmus of land. The town has long been an important port that traded in fishing goods and gems mined from the nearby hills. As the capital of the Anosy Region, it has its own airport and (albeit tenuous) main road connections to the other major centers of the south coast: Ambovombe and Tsihombe. However, new mining finds and international industrial ventures are promising more investment here, and it's already possible to see the effects in the form of shiny hotels, training schools and wider roads. This makes the town ideal as a base when Tôlanaro tour guides guide excursions into its exotic hinterland. There are the shimmering, blustery beachfronts of pearly-white sand that line the Indian Ocean to the south and north, along with unrivaled access to the Berenty Reserve and the Andohahela National Park, where ring-tailed lemurs and sifakas flit through the spiny forests.