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The tiny tropical island of Rodrigues lies some 560 kilometres to the northeast of its big sister, Mauritius. A rugged volcanic outcrop, with a mountainous central ridge and deep valleys and ravines, it is surrounded by coral reefs, which enclose a wide, shallow lagoon twice its size. Draped in the turquoise water is a necklace of 17 tiny islets, overgrown with rare flora and inhabited by endangered sea birds. In short, Rodrigues is a nature-lover’s paradise.
In a time warp
Don’t go expecting big Mauritian-style resorts with all the mod cons. Quaint Rodrigues is in a time warp, with only a few low-key tourist activities and charming hotels. A visit to the island is much more about stepping back in time, enjoying the rugged beauty of the verdant interior, the empty beaches and the friendly people.
Wander the streets of the capital
The tiny capital, Port Mathurin, has an old-fashioned charm. Streets are laid out in an orderly grid pattern, and vestiges of the colonial past are visible in the 19th-century residence of the Island Commissioner on Jenner Street. The area between this and the six minarets of the tiny Noor-ud-Deen Mosque (built for the descendents of the first Muslim textile traders who arrived at the beginning of the 20th century) is a wonderful place to stroll. Dhal puri vendors park their mopeds at the busier intersections, and small shops and bars – often little more than corrugated iron shacks or houses with traditional wooden shutters – spill out on to the pavements.
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Take in a market
Port Mathurin’s Saturday market is a spectacle enlivened by the sound of Creole music and busy chatter. Street stalls laden with vegetables, bottles of pickled peppers and vacoas hats and baskets line Fisherman’s Lane. It’s also the place to buy dried fish and octopus – one of the most important products of the island – or local chutneys and spices.
Go for a drive
Hire a car or motorbike and go exploring, stopping off at a traditional restaurant to take in the views. The drive from the central mountain range to the south coast is truly magnificent – you climb high above the town, and can then enjoy the long, sweeping descents past green fields and tiny cottages to the sea. Take your time. The views of the tiny islets and the ever-changing hues of the lagoon will take your breath away and you’ll soon appreciate that Rodrigues is a very, very special place.
Take a hike
The hike from Pointe Coton to Rivière Banane is one of the finest on the island. High basalt cliffs tumble into the sea, but you can scramble along the faint path on the top or, at low tide, along the sea-rounded boulders. The Pointe Grenade channel, which cuts through the reef to the open sea, is visible from the top of the cliffs – a swathe of deep blue dotted with bright sails. Bring a mask and snorkel on this hike: there is some excellent snorkelling in the gullies and overhangs at the edge of the channel. If you want a longer hike, you can continue along the limestone, wave-cut platform round to Baladirou and Grand Baie past the groves of screw pine (Pandanus) trees – their leaves are used to make the baskets and hats that decorate the street stalls of Port Mathurin.
Hit the beach
Two of the best, and most-photographed beaches are Trou d’Argent (Silver Hole) and Anse Femi, which lie between the beautiful bays of St François and Gravier on the east coast. The hotels and tour operators run boat trips to these stunning coves but, if you have the time and energy, an undulating three-hour coastal trail will take you through clifftop forests to their clear waters.
Ogle a giant tortoise
When the French first settled Rodrigues in the late 17th century, the island was home to thousands of giant tortoises. These were ruthlessly exploited for meat and driven to extinction (as was the solitaire, Rodrigues’ large flightless bird, which soon went the same way as its cousin, the dodo). A restoration project at the François Leguat Giant Tortoise Reserve, near the airport, has seen the karst landscape revegetated with native and endemic plants, and the introduction of giant tortoises from Aldabra in the Seychelles – along with smaller radiated tortoises from Madagascar.
Cruise to a deserted island
A boat trip to one of the gorgeous little islets is a must. The trip to Île aux Chats and Île Hermitage in the south is a great day out, but the most popular trip, offered by all the hotels and tour operators, is to the island sanctuary of Île Cocos off the western tip of Rodrigues. All sorts of exotic birds, including Common and Lesser Noddies, gulls and frigatebirds, flutter overhead and rest in the filoas trees. Sightings of the Rodrigues Fody and Brush Warbler are guaranteed to excite twitchers, and parts of the island are fenced off to protect breeding pairs of the rare Bridled Terns, and graceful Fairy Terns. The excursion includes a barbecue lunch, and you can swim and snorkel in the sandy lagoon.
Bag the highest peak
A worthwhile 15-minute scramble leads up through the trees to the highest point of the island, Mont Limon (398 metres). A signpost just beyond the village of Mont Lubin on the road to Grande Montagne marks the start of the trail. From the top you can survey the deeply incised green valleys that plunge down to the sea, and the wide, multicoloured lagoon surrounding the south of the island.
Fiona McIntosh is the author of Seven Days in Mauritius, Struik, 2004.
