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'''The town of Diego Suarez is located in the north of Madagascar in the world's second largest natural bay with the picturesque [[Nosy Lonja]] (sugarloaf Sugarloaf island) in the middle. Diego Suarez is named after the Portuguese explorer Diego Diaz who came to Madagascar in 1500 and the sailor Fernando Suarez who arrived at the bay in 1506. Unfortunately Diego Diaz was rather cruel to the locals and sold them into slavery.'''

Today Diego Suarez is Madagascar's 5th largest town and after the capital [[Antananarivo]] the most modern in terms of lifestyle, shops and entertainment. The locals are a vibrant mixture of [[Antankarana]] and [[Sakalava]] people, Indians, Arabs, Creole, Chinese, Comorians and French. Most tourists discover only Colbert Street, which is framed by large, colourful colonial brick buildings with verandas. Most hotels, restaurants, tour operators and handicraft shops can be found along this street. The area south of [[Foch Square]] is more Malagasy, with local stores, street markets and the big fruit and food market. The entire town will go to sleep between noon and 3pm with its peak of awakeness during night time.

The climate around Diego Suarez is hot with seven months of dry weather a year. From May to October a trade wind contributes to a pleasant temperature. Almost all rain falls between end of November and April. In those months the landscape turns from beige and brown to lush green. However, Bird bird lovers will enjoy the dry season as birds are more visible then.

The surroundings of Diego Suarez offer some of the most beautiful natural landscapes of Madagascar. For the active travellers their there are many opportunities for hikingtrekking, climbing, swimming, snorkelling, diving, kite-surfing, fishing, bicycling etc.