SOUTHEAST ISLANDS

Several hundred meters from the coast, planted on the edge of the reef off Mahébourg and Vieux Grand Port, there are five of them, two of which bear witness to Mauritius's colonial past. Île de la Passe contains the remains of a French fort built at the very end of the ^18th century to defend Mauritius against the English invaders. Ile aux Fouquets, also known as Ile au Phare, served as a prison for the Frenchman François Léguat and his companions during Dutch colonization in the ^17th century. As its name suggests, it is topped by a semaphore built in 1864. The other islets (Vacoas, Flamants, Marianne) are untouched and make great spots for picnics, swimming and snorkeling.

Many service providers (receptives, catamaran and motorboat cruise companies, local guesthouse owners, local fishermen, etc.) organize excursions to these islets from the Pointe Jérôme pier in Mahébourg. The outing sometimes includes a visit to the island closest to the coast, Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve managed by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, a Mauritian NGO responsible for the preservation of the country's endangered plants and animals. The MWF also offers a tour of the eastern islets, but in its own way, focusing on the different species of plants and animals/insects that can be seen there, the historical wealth of the islets and the seabed offered by the Trou Moutou site.